divorce records

[organicgardener]

 I have found out that my Aunt Ivy Onions married a Norman A Bates in June 1943 Walsall. and there was a divorce in the Birmingham Daily Gazette Wednesday 18th September 1946 but I can't see any details only dates. How can I find the details ? They were cousins so maybe that was a reason for the divorce. My Aunt sailed for Australia in 1947 as Miss Ivy Bates and married Trevor Craddock in Melbourne. Nothing was ever mentioned about a previous marriage by my family it was a well kept secret, and now they are all dead I will never know what they knew. Thanks in advance Chris.

[mckha489]

The piece just says the decree nisi granted to Norman Arthur Bates on the 29th July was made absolute yesterday.
(His address Hatherton Street, Walsall)

I don’t see anything in July/August newspapers.  Some others say things like “wife's adultery’
It was post war after hasty wartime marriages……
His is reported the previous day and you are lucky it is there because it says it was one of 2156 decrees nisi that were made absolute that day.

I don’t think you will find any further information

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/divorce/#2-a-short-history-of-divorce-in-england-and-wales-since-1858

[organicgardener]

Thanks so much for that I just wondered if the divorce was because they were cousins. I guess we will never know just as I will never know if there was a baby born too, as my Aunt was very secretive about her early life.

[mckha489]

Have you checked Freebmd for Bates/Onions births?
I see one, but there is at least one other marriage of same surname combo.
You would have to buy the certificate to see.

Cousins could get married. That in itself wouldn’t be a reason for the divorce.

[organicgardener]

I did check freeBMD and saw the one of Onions/Bates but unless I buy the birth certificate I may never know ! it was just my gran (Ivy's mother) once said she had had a baby but it was still born and Aunt Ivy was so funny about adoption saying "you were told to forget you ever had a child" and when my husband was looking for his birth mother she said I couldn't think of anything worse then a grown man saying he was my son ! most people said "I hope you find her" or they couldn't care less but she was so angry it made me wonder if she had a child before she came to Australia but I never thought she had been married.

[mckha489]

It’s a shame it’s in the part of the births where you have to pay the full £11 to order it.
(From the GRO)

[organicgardener]

I did find the Vicki D and it's the right time frame but it doesn't sound like a name my Aunt would choose ! and the details still might not match. Thanks so much for trying, another one of life's mysteries ! we did find my husbands birth family through DNA his father was a GI in WW2 and his mother was a Scottish lady who had kept the secret for 40 years even her husband and son didn't know she had a son in 1945 but I can understand why as it was shameful to be an unmarried mother.