Mexico - kind of not Mexico anymore, more utter confusion...!

[alllegs]

I can't find anywhere to search for divorces after 1935....

[jorose]

Hmm... there definitely are files in J77 on the NA catalogue that go beyond 1935, but apparently most case files beyond 1938 were destroyed and no longer exist. I had a quick look at the Times (which should have mentioned the case, but often only by surname in a long list of divorce cases going up before the judge, and with surname "Justice" it makes it a bit difficult), but no luck.

Principal Registry of the Family Division, Decree Absolute Section, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (020 7947 7015) seem to be the people you should be checking with if there was a divorce - probably best to narrow it down as much as you can first. If they do find something, apparently you want to ask for copies of both the decree absolute and decree nisi to get all the possible information (i.e. cause of divorce, etc).

[alllegs]

oh heck, now it turns out that Sarah had 2 sons (1935 and 1938) and a daughter (1943) to Sidney Justice. However, my friend and her family think that the daughter is John Cook's daughter....

Although I guess Sarah could still have been Mrs Justice (whether married/divorced/widowed) when her and Mr Cook's daughter were born in 1943?  Although the next daughter born as a Cook in 1947 was born before Sarah married Mr Cook....

[alllegs]

Thank you for the divorce info, I'll have to ask my friend what she wants to do about finding that as it'll cost £40.  At least I seem to have narrowed the dates down a little!  I searched J77 on the National Archives site, but nothing came up for those two, it seems likely that it would have occured after 1983 as son number 2 was born in 1938 so it may not exist any longer I guess...?

Maybe they didn't divorce....? Bigamy??? Or perhaps we just haven't found Sid's death...?

[alllegs]

A Summary of the facts....

Sarah Ann Rebekah Seaton was born in the Winslow district in Dec 1/4 1911.

She married Sidney William Justice in the district of Wycombe in Dec 1/4 1934
They had 2 sons, June 1/4 1935 in district of Aylesbury and Dec 1/4 1938 in district of North Bucks

A Justice daughter was born in district of North Bucks in Dec 1/4 1943

In 1947 another daughter was born to Sarah indexed under Justice and Cook.

Sarah married John ES Cook in Thanet district in 1948.  More children are born.

Sidney Justice dies in 1996

Now the speculation.....

Sidney Justice joined the forces and fought somewhere in WW2, whilst he was away Sarah met John Cook and gave birth illigitimatly to daughter Justice in 1943. 
Sidney returns home to find Sarah with John and files for divorce.  Daughter 2 was born and registered under Cook and Justice as both parents were present, still awaiting divorce.
Divorce comes through and Sarah and John marry in 1948.

What do you reckon...?

Legs
xxxx

[KarenM]

Are WWII files available?

[alllegs]

No idea Karen.....

[alllegs]

Hi,

Me agian, received John and Sarah's marriage certificate today, Sarah was divorced from Sidney and she married John in Jan 1948.

John's birth is the one Jorose located in 1913, as his father is Edward Arthur Cook who married Louisa Covell in 1911 in St Olave.

On Sarah's side, her parents were William John Seaton and Kate Ellen Smith.  They married in Kingston in 1908.

So now I need to find Sarah's divorce between 1935 and 1848......

Legs
xxxx

[jorose]

What was John's full name on the marriage certificate? Might be able to find something on him from that. It's quite possible he was named on the divorce - if there was one and she wasn't being a trifle economical with the truth.

If there was a daughter born in 1947 who used the name Justice/Cook but they didn't marry to 1948, I'd start first looking for a divorce in 1947/8, with the marriage right after.