Researching a divorce between John Watson Veitch and Margaret Stewart Veitch[nee Mcalpine].
They married in 1872 in Dunedin 16 April 1872. No further info on marriage cert.
John Watson Veitch remarried 1885 to Mary Wilson, he then died in 27 Dec 1888.
I understood divorce would be recorded on marrriage cert.
Hello Jeanette
I thought the names John Watson VEITCH and Margaret Stewart VEITCH (McALPINE), rang some bells.
I managed to find your previous thread (re: Christopher JOHNSTON / JOHNSTONE) where I'd given some assistance with that search and where the VEITCH name crops up also. (I think two threads on the subject have been merged).
So having read through the previous, I see that it was established that John Watson VEITCH (butcher) had died on 24 December 1885 and was buried with his (and Margaret's) infant daughter (died 29 April 1877), in a shared plot, at the Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
[Just incidentally, the 1872 marriage at Dunedin to Margaret McALPIN [sic] records his name only as "John VEITCH", though I think we can be fairly sure (because of the burial with his daughter/ and also his funeral notice) that he was the
same John Watson VEITCH who went on to re-marry in 1885 to Mary WILSON. ]
We also have a newspaper record of his formal separation (April 1878) from Margaret.
You may recall (previous thread) that I mentioned that if a divorce between the couple had taken place, then this would be endorsed (usually by way of an official stamp bearing the date of the Decree Absolute), on the marriage record. But of course the marriage record (certificate) you have, does not record a divorce.
My guess is :
* That there was
no divorce.
* That John VEITCH (a.k.a. John Watson VEITCH) in fact committed bigamy when he wed Mary WILSON in 1885 - perhaps not knowingly - but did so on the basis that the formal separation agreement with Margaret (1878), "spelled" the end of that marriage, and allowed him the freedom to re-marry.
Yes, I think a good start is to request an ITM (Intention to Marry notice) for his marriage to Mary WILSON (1885) which may give helpful info. If not, then a copy (printout) of the marriage record, may shed more light ?
~ Lu