divorce

[Jane MB]

Could anyone explain to me how the divorce law worked after WW1 and before 1920's?

My grandmother obtained a divorce before her second marriage in 1920. She was born 1895. Her first husband was an officer in the army - above her status.
(And they had a child or she had a child with her future husband (my grandfather)before 2nd marriage?? Its a bit hazy! Some family say she had to say this to obtain a divorce?)

But, we don't know.

Please explain in simple terms,
thanks
Jane

[Little Nell]

Hi Jane,

The following is from Mark Herber's Ancestral Trails:

From January 1 1858 a divorce could be granted by the new civil court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes.  Husbands could obtain divorce becasue of their wife's adultery.  However, until 1925, a wife had to prove not only her husband's adultery but also that the adultery had been aggravated by his cruelty or certain other offences.  The availability of civil divorce reduced the need to use other separation procedures and there were about 150 divorces a year by 1860 (and about 800 a year by 1914).

Hope that helps.

Nell

[wdurham]

Many thanks for that information - I have a situation with my own family where my great grandfather Abbott left his first wife (nee Halcrow) and their 6 children around 1895, in order to marry my great grandmother (King nee Davies). I have a marriage certificate for them, so they did indeed go through a marriage ceremony. The families lived in Islington and Hackney.

However, my elderly mother assures me that for "poor people" - which my ancestors were - a divorce would have been out of the question - too expensive and difficult for ordinary folk. She believes that the marriage was bigamous, and there is some cirucmstantial evidence for this. My g-grandfather returned to his first wife - and the whole family took her maiden name of Halcrow - between begetting my grandfather (Abbott, aka King) in 1899 and the 1901 Census. At the same time, my g-grandmother reverted to her previous married name of King, and re-named all her Abbott children to King by 1901.

Is there any way I can find out if a divorce actually took place?