How were divorcees listed on marriage certificates in 19th Century?

[MasMassive]

Probably a silly question but could someone please tell me whether a divorcee remarrying in the late 1800s would be listed as "divorced" or simply "batchelor" (or indeed "spinster") on the marriage register? 

I'm looking at a copy on ancestry.co.uk from 1876 where the man in question is down as batchelor in spite of having previously been 'married' -- I use inverted commas because I don't think he was married first time round and was hoping that this listing as batchelor here would confirm that.

Any advice or input gratefully received.  Thanks in advance

[jim1]

Divorce at this time was extremely difficult for ordinary people & was pretty much outside of the pocket of most.
Although the Matrimonial Causes Act had been around for nearly 20 years by this time it still wasn't an easy process especially for women.
However a divorcee would revert to pre marital status.

[Girl Guide]

What appears on the marriage certificate will be what the minister has been told. 

If the minister is not told that one of the parties is divorced or widowed then he would presumably assume that the couple are batchelor and spinster.

Divorces were expensive in the 19th century so quite often the husband or wife would desert their spouse and 'marry' another person, usually some distance away from where they lived and were therefore unknown.

[Milliepede]

I use inverted commas because I don't think he was married first time round and was hoping that this listing as batchelor here would confirm that.

If he wasn't actually married first time round then he can't have got divorced. 

[MasMassive]

If he wasn't actually married first time round then he can't have got divorced.

I can't find a record of the marriage although the woman seems to have taken his name eg on census

[MasMassive]

However a divorcee would revert to pre marital status.

Would the same be true of a Widower/Widow?

[Milliepede]

It's not uncommon for what appears to be a husband and wife on census just to be a couple living together.

Do you know what happened to that lady - had she died before he married as a singleton in 1876?

[MasMassive]

quite often the husband or wife would desert their spouse and 'marry' another person, usually some distance away from where they lived and were therefore unknown.

  Oh my days!  But I don't think that's the case here as I can't seem to track down the original wedding.  (nice to see you again Girl Guide!)

[BumbleB]

I have a marriage certificate for 1873 in which the bride has reverted to her maiden name and is entered as "divorced woman".  Her ex-husband, on the other hand, also re-marries in 1873 as a "widower".