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  • Looking for a divorce entry

    Hi all

    My grandad, Arthur Albert McKanna, married Mary Jane Keeble McCarthy (nee Simpson), born 1904, in Southend on Sea in 1964.

    Grandad had my dad with my nan, though they didn't marry, before this marriage.

    Mary Jane K McCarthy's first husband was Patrick Joseph McCarthy, born 1891. They married at the Register Office in Stockton, Durham 27 November 1923.
    As far as my mum can remember they had two daughters, then divorced. They could have been Catholic, I'm sure Mary was.
    We all called Mary, 'Molly'.

    I'm looking for the divorce entry from Patrick McCarthy and any children.

    Thank you very much

    Amanda

  • #2
    Originally posted by amck37 View Post
    Hi all

    My grandad, Arthur Albert McKanna, married Mary Jane Keeble McCarthy (nee Simpson), born 1904, in Southend on Sea in 1964.

    Grandad had my dad with my nan, though they didn't marry, before this marriage.

    Mary Jane K McCarthy's first husband was Patrick Joseph McCarthy, born 1891. They married at the Register Office in Stockton, Durham 27 November 1923.
    As far as my mum can remember they had two daughters, then divorced. They could have been Catholic, I'm sure Mary was.
    We all called Mary, 'Molly'.

    I'm looking for the divorce entry from Patrick McCarthy and any children.

    Thank you very much

    Amanda
    There are no lists of divorces anywhere. If you knew which court and if they have still got any records you could check but if they both married again then we must assume the were divorced. The marriage certificates will show what they said as to their status.

    As regards children of Patrick and Mary Jane you can search on the birth index on ancestry using Mc Carthy as the surname and putting Mary's maiden name in the appropriate box. That should list any children they had in the relevant years.

    Margaret

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    • #3
      I can see 2 births for females
      1. 1924 Stockton
      2. 1932 Middlesbrough

      and 2 males

      1. Middlesbrough 1927
      2. Stockton 1930

      Can't put their names as may still be alive. Could be two different couples with the same surnames or all 4 children to one couple.

      Margaret

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      • #4
        Thinking about it - why did Arthur and Mary take so long to marry? Were they waiting for the death of her husband rather than a divorce?

        Margaret

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        • #5
          Originally posted by margaretmarch View Post
          There are no lists of divorces anywhere.
          Ancestry has divorce records, but they only cover the years 1858-1915.

          The National Archives website also has some. This is what they say:

          The survival rate of divorce case files is:

          1858-1927: almost 100%
          1928-1937: 80%
          After 1937: less than 0.2%
          1. Why use this guide? This guide will help you to find records held at The National Archives for divorce and separation. You are unlikely to find documents for any divorce since 1937 among our records. For legal proof of your own divorce, or any divorce in England or Wales since 1858 to the present, […]


          You can also sometimes find lists published in the Times online archives.

          However, divorce was still unusual in those days, and practising Catholics don't believe in it; they would need to get an annulment, which is very difficult, especially if they'd had children.

          So I think Margaret's right, that they waited for her first husband to die before marrying.
          Last edited by Mary from Italy; 12-02-17, 16:25.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
            Ancestry has divorce records, but they only cover the years 1858-1915.

            The National Archives website also has some. This is what they say:


            1. Why use this guide? This guide will help you to find records held at The National Archives for divorce and separation. You are unlikely to find documents for any divorce since 1937 among our records. For legal proof of your own divorce, or any divorce in England or Wales since 1858 to the present, […]


            You can also sometimes find lists published in the Times online archives.

            However, divorce was still unusual in those days, and practising Catholics don't believe in it; they would need to get an annulment, which is very difficult, especially if they'd had children.

            So I think Margaret's right, that they waited for her first husband to die before marrying.
            I beg your pardon - I have not seen those and since I was last involved in looking for divorce records it was said that you needed to know where the divorce took place.

            Margaret

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            • #7
              Thank you ladies.

              On Mary & Arthur's marriage cert it says 'previous marriage dissolved' so I assumed that meant divorce?

              Amanda

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, that did mean they were divorced. Oddly, if you said you were divorced, you had to prove it, so I think you can safely assume they were divorced.

                You won't find any record of the divorce as divorce is a private matter. You might find something in the newspapers though, as divorces were still rare enough to be a news item!

                OC

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                • #9
                  I've had a look at the Times online archive, and there are half a dozen McCarthy v. McCarthy divorces between 1923 and 1964 but they don't give the parties' Christian names or initials, or the place where they lived, so it doesn't really help. They do give the surname of the co-respondent in the case of adultery, but that's all.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by amck37 View Post
                    Thank you ladies.

                    On Mary & Arthur's marriage cert it says 'previous marriage dissolved' so I assumed that meant divorce?

                    Amanda
                    Yes, it does.

                    Margaret

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Well, thank you very much for all your help.

                      I will let this lie now, it's clear that there probs won't be any public paper trail - I was just being nosey into this issue really! :D

                      Thanks again

                      Amanda

                      Comment

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