Author Topic: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s  (Read 20407 times)

Offline LizzieW

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Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« on: Sunday 11 May 08 23:45 BST (UK) »
Does anyone know where I would find details of divorces from 1940s and 50s? 

Lizzie

Offline Lady Di

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #1 on: Monday 12 May 08 09:43 BST (UK) »
I found divorce records at the National Archives for 1928.

I don't know what date they go to but I used this link:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/quick_search.aspx

This search option gives better results and covers far more entries - only found this thanks to a Rootschatter  ;D.

Good luck

Di
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline avm228

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #2 on: Monday 12 May 08 09:57 BST (UK) »
I agree with Di that this is a wonderful resource, which I too discovered only recently thanks to a fellow Rootschatter.

The easiest way to search for divorces is to use this page:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp

entering the name you are interested in in the "Word or phrase" box and J77 in the "Department or Series Code" box (plus any dates if you want to limit the search).

Anna
Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #3 on: Monday 12 May 08 12:03 BST (UK) »
Thank you Di and Anna.  Unfortunately the National Archives records only appear to go as far as 1935 when I just checked.  Perhaps I'll have to wait another few years or so to find out anything. 

Although I did read somewhere on Rootschat that although 1911 census is not yet available, a Rootschatters divorce details were available to all to see and they were only about 4-5 years old.  Perhaps I should check newspapers.

Lizzie


Offline Keziahemm

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #4 on: Monday 12 May 08 12:18 BST (UK) »
Hi Lizzie

I seem to recall that, for a while, divorce details were available at the National Archives upto 2000, but this facility was then closed, think this was on a NA's newsletter, can't find it at the mo, perhaps there were objections  :-\

Susan
Herefordshire: Mytton.
Lincs: Ingham
Northants: Knight (Welford); Linnell;  Gaudern.
Staffs (Brierley Hill, Kingswinford): Wood; Eades.
Somerset: Bailey; Lewis
Warwickshire: (Alcester, Henley in Arden) Lewis; Casey/Keasey
Warwickshire (Birmingham suburbs) Knight
Yorkshire (Bradford):  Ingham


Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #5 on: Monday 12 May 08 12:41 BST (UK) »
Thanks Sue.  I doubt there are many people alive now, who divorced in the 1940s/50s.  I'm trying to find out about my aunt's divorce and she was born in 1908 and died in 1990.

Lizzie

Offline matt94

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 06 August 11 20:02 BST (UK) »
Hi Lizzie,

An old thread, I know, but did you ever find any divorce records from the time? I am looking for the divorce of my great-aunt in the 1940's/1950s and I don't know where to go for information.

Thanks
Matt
Census information is Crown Copyright  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Divorce Records 1940s-1950s
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 07 August 11 19:38 BST (UK) »
Hi Matt

I didn't find out anything, to be honest I put it on the back burner after a general search.  I do remember that my aunt's husband went to prison, which was kept from me as a child, as was the divorce, although my  cousins knew, their parents obviously not so sensitive about the issue as my parents (or probably my mother was, even though my aunt was my father's sister).

I suppose if I did a search of the newspapers of the 1940s for the appropriate town, I might find out why my aunt's husband went to prison and that would give me a date to start searching for a divorce.

Lizzie