Show Posts
19
The Common Room / How long must a spouse be missing before one can remarry?
« on: Friday 27 January 23 08:59 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,
I found my great-grandmother in the 1921 Census living with a man called John O'Reilly and the two are recorded as husband and wife, however I know they didn't marry until 1923. They were in their late 30s/early 40s - so not young sweethearts or anything - and I'm wondering why they would record themselves as married when they weren't.
My great-grandmother, Rose, had been married as a 17 year old in 1895, Glasgow to an English soldier named William Houghton and was still recorded as his wife in the 1901 census, however I assume he died sometime after that before 1904/05. I've never been able to find a death cert for him however (because his name was so common).
John was also previously married, I think to a woman named Eliazbeth Reilly, but again, I've never found a death cert for her.
So I'm wondering, in the 1910s/20s, how long did a spouse need to be missing (say in war?) before they could be assumed dead - or how long did a couple need to be seperated before they could divorce?
I found my great-grandmother in the 1921 Census living with a man called John O'Reilly and the two are recorded as husband and wife, however I know they didn't marry until 1923. They were in their late 30s/early 40s - so not young sweethearts or anything - and I'm wondering why they would record themselves as married when they weren't.
My great-grandmother, Rose, had been married as a 17 year old in 1895, Glasgow to an English soldier named William Houghton and was still recorded as his wife in the 1901 census, however I assume he died sometime after that before 1904/05. I've never been able to find a death cert for him however (because his name was so common).
John was also previously married, I think to a woman named Eliazbeth Reilly, but again, I've never found a death cert for her.
So I'm wondering, in the 1910s/20s, how long did a spouse need to be missing (say in war?) before they could be assumed dead - or how long did a couple need to be seperated before they could divorce?