Divorces in 1880

[Hugo]

How common would it be for ag labs, miners, etc in Scotland to divorce in pre-1900?

I don't think they would be common as it was probably expensive.

Have just realised that I don't know where to look to find information about such a divorce.

Hugo

[dizzzy]

I don't think divorce was very common back then. I've included a link to the national archives which tells you more about divorces back then. My great grandmother got divorced in 1923 which is abit later but I was able to get her records form the TNA.

The National Archives | Getting started | Family History | Divorce

[Darksecretz]

hugo

you could always look here:

The National Archives of Scotland Home Page

maybe they have some details? I don't know that much about scots research sorry.

[Hugo]

Thanks Dizzy but a quick look suggests it only covers divorces under English law.

[Vicky the Viking]

one of my OH's ancestors was a bigamist - her first husband being about 120 miles away there wasn't much chance he'd object to someone else being responsible for her keep. Don't know about the actual figures, but I suspect it was pretty common!

I also have two who didn't bother with any of the formalities, just started living with their new "spouse". It was probably a bit of a scandal if the neighbours knew, but at least it wasn't a crime. And if you weren't landed gentry etc with assets to protect, it probably didn't matter if your kids were technically illegitimate.

[dizzzy]

Thanks Dizzy but a quick look suggests it only covers divorces under English law.

Yep just noticed sorry :o. Think I must've had my eyes closed.

[Hugo]

Julie, Of course! That is an obvious place to look - probably why I did not think of it.

Thanks,

Hugo

[Olde Crone Holden]

Well, funnily enough, I have two Scottish divorces, both before 1900, which really surprised me on several counts.

Both couples were "working class" and wouldn't have had a spare ha'penny, I wouldn't have thought!

Both couples were staunch Church of Scotland and remembering how my own mother (Scottish) was so scandalised by divorce up to her dying day, I'm amazed they had the nerve to do this, and that their respective families didn't cast them out.

I haven't managed to track down the details of either divorce, but they are described as "Divorced wife/Husband of..." at remarriage so I'm reasonably certain they did actually divorce.

OC

[Hugo]

OC Why does it always happen to you! lol

Hugo

[Guy]

Try
Guide to divorce records - The National Archives of Scotland

However it should also be kept in mind that it was common belief that in Scotland before the twentieth century a man could simply repeat -
I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee - to his wife to be divorced.

I have not been able to find any definitive proof of this folklore though it is acceptable in Muslim cultures.
Cheers
Guy

[Hugo]

Guy,

Thanks. However, as her death certificate is in her married name, I now don't think there was a divorce.

[Little Nell]

Hugo

Unless she married again, if she was divorced she would probably have kept her married name. If you get the death cert it will state if she is "wife or Widow or former wife" which might help.

It's a modern phenomenon for divorced women to revert to their maiden name. And not all women do.

[Guy]

Hugo

Unless she married again, if she was divorced she would probably have kept her married name. If you get the death cert it will state if she is "wife or Widow or former wife" which might help.

It's a modern phenomenon for divorced women to revert to their maiden name. And not all women do.

Not in necessarily in Scotland.
There is a tradition in Scotland for married women to keep their maiden name.
She could be listed as “Mrs Margaret Davidson wife of David Cowan”, or even “Mrs Margaret Davidson or Cowan”.
Cheers
Guy