Author Topic: Access to divorce records?  (Read 1131 times)

Offline Nifty1

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Access to divorce records?
« on: Wednesday 11 April 12 03:12 BST (UK) »
Ramsay Marsh was born in Auckland Durham in Dec. 1923.
He was then a Turf accountant, or, a turf accountant's representative for what was basically his father's business at William Street in Slough.
They were separated within a few years of the marriage and divorced in 1962.
I understand (but am not certain) that the details of the case (which I am trying to find out) were quite exceptional and that the case was a test case and possibly held in the High Court.

Is there any way I can gain access to  the details of this case?
Kirtland (Oxfordshire Windsor, Berkshire)
Lipscombe (Longwick Berkshire, Maidenhead)
Marsh (London, Monksweirmouth, Durham+Berks  Bucks, Wokingham
Reynolds (Buckinghamshire Stoke on Trent)
Green, Stoke Poges
Brown (Co Durham, Windsor, Wokingham)
Wilson (Eton)
Wise

Offline GrahamSimons

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Re: Access to divorce records?
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 11 April 12 08:17 BST (UK) »
See the research guide here:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/divorce-after-1858.htm

It suggests that, for relatively recent cases, the files are unlikely to be preserved. From the guide, "Case files are now destroyed 20 years after the divorce. "

You will be able to find the date of the decree absolute, and could then try and trace the case in the press - perhaps the local press, perhaps Law Reports in The Times if the case set a precendent.

Looks interesting: good luck and happy hunting!
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan

Offline Nifty1

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Re: Access to divorce records?
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 11 April 12 10:30 BST (UK) »
Thank you very much for such a speedy reply Graham.
As far as I can make out, it seems that it is not as simple as I first imagined it might be.
An afterthought I had was that at least two of the the affairs of Ramsay Marsh are mentioned twice in a book called You and the Law by the late Fenton Bressler. I did have a copy and may still have.
The problem being, that I will not be able refer to it to see if there may be other angles of approach until after mid-August as I will not be at home until then.
I am sure that one mention in the book is of the divorce. The other to do with this.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19681111id=M28eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nskEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3209%2c2876442

Edit:
Also
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oSJbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=504NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4560,1483515&dq=ramsay+marsh&hl=en
which has slighlty more information.
Kirtland (Oxfordshire Windsor, Berkshire)
Lipscombe (Longwick Berkshire, Maidenhead)
Marsh (London, Monksweirmouth, Durham+Berks  Bucks, Wokingham
Reynolds (Buckinghamshire Stoke on Trent)
Green, Stoke Poges
Brown (Co Durham, Windsor, Wokingham)
Wilson (Eton)
Wise