Divorce in the 1860s

[mckha489]

I have one where the first marriage was 1861, Divorce 1870, remarriage of the Wife in 1871.  She remarried under her maiden name but instead of widow, or spinster, or divorced it says Unmarried.  The other entries on that page of the parish register all say the usual things.

The husband remarried 3 more times, but his were all in the registry office.  Nevertheless,
The first and second he says he is a bachelor
And at the last he says he was a widower, which by then was actually technically  true! 

[Mabel Bagshawe]

I have one where the first marriage was 1861, Divorce 1870, remarriage of the Wife in 1871.  She remarried under her maiden name but instead of widow, or spinster, or divorced it says Unmarried.  The other entries on that page of the parish register all say the usual things.

The husband remarried 3 more times, but his were all in the registry office.  Nevertheless,
The first and second he says he is a bachelor
And at the last he says he was a widower, which by then was actually technically  true! 

Was theirs a divorce or was the marriage annulled (eg for non consummation or technical issue like one being under age)? In that case the marriage is considered never to have happened so technically both parties are spinster or bachelor on next marriage.

[mckha489]

Divorce . I have the documents

[Retriever]

Many thanks for all the posts, most interesting.

Special thanks to ShaunJ for the link to Ancestry divorce records. I have just been reading the case and now know where they were married, children born to them and the name of the man she is accused of committing adultery with!

What a shame my connection is to the second wife!