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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 17:23 GMT (UK)

Title: Divorces
Post by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 17:23 GMT (UK)
Does anyone know if divorces are searchable on the internet in England yet?  I have someone who divorced in the early 1900s but wanted to know just when.
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: coombs on Thursday 22 January 09 17:47 GMT (UK)
Hi Meredith

Try this link:-

http://www.findmypast.com/DivorceStartSearchServlet

Ben
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 17:48 GMT (UK)
Thanks Ben, I'll give it a go.

Meredith
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: AngelaR on Thursday 22 January 09 17:54 GMT (UK)
The findmypast indexes only go up to 1903, unfortunately. Beyond that, this is what they say -

Quote
The divorce records are a set of registers of decrees nisi and absolute, with their indexes. These are kept by the Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD), and are not accessible by the public. Instead, officials will carry out a paid search of the index, and certified copies of the decrees can be bought. You can contact them at:

Principal Registry of the Family Division
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London
WC2V 6NP
Tel: 020 7947 6971 or (international) +44 7947 6971

http://www.courtservice.gov.uk

Angela
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 18:01 GMT (UK)
Yes I had a look at findmypast, unfortunately they divorced after that I think.

Thanks Angela & everyone.

Meredith
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: coombs on Thursday 22 January 09 18:02 GMT (UK)
Hi

What are the names of these divorcees? Its a pity the indexes only go up to 1903.

The address that Angela mentions is where I have been to locate wills.

Ben
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 18:31 GMT (UK)
Thomas Charles Martin & Eliza Martin nee Lee, they're in the 1901 & 1911 census living apart, in 1911 Thomas says he's a widower ( wishful thinking maybe ) but Eliza is still calling herself Martin.  We know there was a divorce but just not sure when.  It's poss that Eliza says she's still married to save face in public.  Which ever way you look at it, Thomas died in 1921.

Meredith
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: avm228 on Thursday 22 January 09 18:47 GMT (UK)
I can't see anything obviously relevant in the National Archives' J77 series for Eliza Martin:

http://tinyurl.com/bkwmgj

but you may want to try different configurations of the names and see what you find.

Anna
Title: Re: Divorces
Post by: Meredith on Thursday 22 January 09 18:59 GMT (UK)
Thanks, no I can't find anything for either of them, maybe the family legend isn't true & they just separated.

M