1945 Divorce Record - is there any way to access?

[ccaufield]

Hi there,

I am curious if there is any way to access a 1945 divorce record from Scotland. I understand the access time is now 100 years - is there any type of Freedom of Information Act I can go through?

I've been trying to solve a mystery for 5 years now. My Great Grandfather, Richard Craddock Gray (b.1893, d.1966) immigrated with his wife (Isabella Flemming Todd) to Canada in 1924 with his 3 children.

We know at some point he left his wife and kids and returned to Scotland. Between 1925 and 1938, 5 more children were born to Isabella, but the paternity of some of the children may not be attributed to Richard. We see he is still with his wife and kids in 1926 (census of Western Canada), but by 1931 Isabella and the children are living with another man.

My Grandmother (b.1922) remembered him leaving when she was about 6. There is a record that might be him from 1935 in Scotland (living on Fairfield Street), but no dates or middle names to confirm. The next official records are in 1944, a marriage to Catherine Boone, and a divorce from Isabella (which is closed). I am trying to figure out what happened to him between 1926 and 1944. I can't find a record of him arriving back in Scotland. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

[MonicaL]

No sign of him on the 1931 Canadian census? Like you, can't easily see his return to the UK in that time frame.

An old post here on RC which covers this topic www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=750074.0

See also www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/frequently-asked-questions/questions-about-divorce-or-dissolution-of-civil-partnership

Monica

[ccaufield]

Thank you, that link to the Scottish courts is very helpful.

I did search the 1931 Canadian census - no sign of him. I suspect he was already back in Scotland at that time.

Am I correct that the Scottish 1931 census records will be released after 2031?

[GR2]

With a divorce, it is always worth looking to see if the newspapers mention it.

[ccaufield]

With a divorce, it is always worth looking to see if the newspapers mention it.

Huh, I had never considered that. Would they only report the divorces of more prominent people? My Grandfather was a labourer.

[antiquesam]

I wouldn't have thought a labourer could have afforded a divorce at that time. In the main the common man just forgot about a previous marriage and got on with life.

[dowdstree]

Have you obtained the marriage certificate for Richard and Isabella? I see they were married in Kilmarnock in 1919. Ref 597/9. This is from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

If so there should be what is called an RCE attached to it (Register of Corrected Entries) which will not give you all the details of the divorce but tell you who instigated the divorce, when granted and their addresses, if known.

Hope this helps,

Dorrie

[scotmum]

Deleted, as was asking same as dowdstree.

Also, marriage was 1944, did you mean to say 1945 for divorce to first wife?

For some reason, I am not finding the divorce indexed on the NRS website, which I thought it would be as they say:

From 1935 to 1984, individual divorce cases are listed in our catalogue and can be found by searching for either party involved in the action.

And, neither the 1919 and 1944 marriages and the 1966 death, are not indexed with a middle name for Richard.

In 1892, not 1893, there is this birth:

GRAY
RICHARD CRADDOC
CRADDOCK
M
1892
578 / 686
AYR

So if your chap, it certainly looks like he rarely used 'Craddock' or even 'C', on records in later life.

[Forfarian]

For some reason, I am not finding the divorce indexed on the NRS website, which I thought it would be as they say:

From 1935 to 1984, individual divorce cases are listed in our catalogue and can be found by searching for either party involved in the action.

They used to be, but I think they have deleted references to divorces less than 100(?) years ago from the catalogue.