How long would it take to get a divorce?

[Trish@Somerset]

My step-grandmother married her first husband in the last quarter of 1926 - story goes she was divorced and then married my grandfather in the 2nd quarter 1927 - can this be right?

[Olde Crone Holden]

No, in a word.

Unless there were extremely unusual and unsavoury circumstances, you had to be married for five years before you could even begin to petition for a divorce.

OC

[tinkerbe]

try google 1st husband name to see if he was in papers for something

[Olde Crone Holden]

Unless the first marriage was a bigamous one on the man's part....

OC

[Trish@Somerset]

Interesting! All I know is what my step-grandmother told me - that she divorced him because he was fond of using his fists.

[annswabey]

You could search the National Archives online catalogue for a divorce. Just put the surname into the search and J77 as the reference to search.

[Trish@Somerset]

Thanks all

[Olde Crone Holden]

Think I would have to get both marriage certs, myself, lol!

Sorry, but your husband bashing you about was not grounds for a quickie divorce in the 1920s, unless it amounted to attempted murder. Even then, a divorce would take much longer than six months. Men had the legal RIGHT to "chastise" their wives.

OC

[Trish@Somerset]

OC, this is only a passing curiosity as I've never really been interested in my step-grandmother I'm ashamed to say. Just been on National Archives though and there she was - just sitting waiting for me!

It was the husband that filed for divorce against her as it looked like she was having an affair with my grandfather (who was a widow).

Oh what fibs I was told!

[Tom Tom]

It might not necessarily be all lies Trish. He might have been using his fists as well.

If you order the divorce records there is usually a copy of the marriage certificate in there as well.

[Trish@Somerset]

Thanks Tom, will keep that in mind if my curiosity gets the better of me.

From what I now know my step-grandmother and her husband were married at the end of 1926 and that is also the year her hubby filed for divorce

[Olde Crone Holden]

Trish

It's the old double standard thingy again - a man only needed one reason to divorce his wife, a woman needed two reasons!

However, I am surprised at the speed of the divorce, even so. The process of law usually plods along at majestic pace. Perhaps a wife's adultery WAS grounds for petitioning for divorce before the couple had been married five years?

(Um, he might have used his fists when he found out she was having an affair, lol, not that I approve of wife-beating, but you know what I mean)

OC

[Trish@Somerset]

Will try and reply again - I got kicked off just then!

OC, yes, that was my first thoughts too. I wouldn't blame him if she was playing around! Then again she did go on to marry my grandfather and raised his 3 children

[Little Nell]

When you find out let us know,you know how nosey we all are!

[Trish@Somerset]

Will do Nell Honestly, I wasn't going to bother sending off for the records but after a few minutes thinking about it I just knew I had to find out - so that's a few more pennies spent (on OH's credit card)

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

So are all divorces on the NA? Hubby's great grandma left her husband sometime in the 1930's & as I've not found a death for her, I wondered if she had divorced & remarried.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Lynn, there are a couple of useful Research Guides on the National Archives site which might help.

Divorce Records in England and Wales after 1858

Divorce Records Before 1858

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Thanks Elaine, I will have a look

[Jayslass]

One of the sure ways to get a divorce as late as the early 1960's, was to commit adultery. Proof was needed. I know at least one person/couple who 'faked' the photo of the adultery in order to apply for a divorce!!! I thought that the divorced people had to wait several months before being allowed to re-marry!

[Trish@Somerset]

Just received the divorce papers - looks like something has gone wrong in the translation somewhere. It states on the papers that the original marriage took place 1916 - not 1926!!!!
Pretty boring now really - my step-grandmother was accused of 'frequently committed adultery' with my grandfather, and that they were to attend Court in London. There are 8 more pages after this that I haven't been sent, presumably my step-grandmother's reply to the accusation. I will assume she admitted the adultery, otherwise that will be another £8.50 I guess