RootsChat.Com

Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Gill87 on Saturday 04 February 12 17:34 GMT (UK)

Title: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Gill87 on Saturday 04 February 12 17:34 GMT (UK)
Hello,

Does anybody know how to go about researching divorce records?

I'm looking specifically for the divorce of James Gray Donaldson and Jane Dow Kennedy. They married in Glasgow on 19/09/1924 but divorced sometime before 1938 - this is when James remarried Annie McConnach Benson. Jane remarries the following year to Hugh Douglas Jardine.

Does anybody know how common divorce was in the 1920s/30s?

Or does anybody recognise any of the names above as relating to their family tree in some way.

Thank you lots!! Gill
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: gaucho on Saturday 04 February 12 17:39 GMT (UK)
You can find the divorce on the National Archives of Scotland on line catalogue at
http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/
John
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Gill87 on Saturday 04 February 12 17:42 GMT (UK)
Thank you. I had come across this website before but have found it incredibly hard to use *embarrassed face*.

I'll keep playing around with the search fields.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: gaucho on Saturday 04 February 12 17:47 GMT (UK)
just put in both surnames, leave the search fields as AND, you'll get a couple of pages of results
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Gill87 on Saturday 04 February 12 18:15 GMT (UK)
Ah ha,

But no relevant records or divorce records...
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: garngad on Saturday 04 February 12 21:10 GMT (UK)
hi i have come across a divorce in my family search in 1925 it was in the RCE which is the register of corrected entries its not much but maybe will help you
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: GR2 on Saturday 04 February 12 22:13 GMT (UK)
I assume you have the first marriage certificate or it says divorced on the second one. If not, there is always the possibility that there never was a first marriage.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: bleckie on Saturday 04 February 12 22:21 GMT (UK)
Hi All

I have a copy of a marriage cert where one of the parties were divorced this cert is from 1928.

Note the stamp in the margin.

Yours Aye
BruceL
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: gaucho on Saturday 04 February 12 22:28 GMT (UK)
Ah ha,

But no relevant records or divorce records...
However, it gives you the catalogue numbers. With these you can contact them for copies.
John
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: gaucho on Saturday 04 February 12 22:30 GMT (UK)
 Sorry, misread, you obviously didn't see this record:-

Reference Title Date
CS258 Court of Session: Unextracted Processes, 4th arrangement 1935-1994
 
Country code GB
Repository code 234
Repository National Archives of Scotland
Reference CS258/10967
Title James G Donaldson v Jane D Kennedy or Donaldson: Divorce
Dates 1944
Access status Open
 
Location Off site
Description 1937
1114
Level Item
 
 
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Gill87 on Sunday 05 February 12 13:41 GMT (UK)
Oh wow! No, I didn't see that record. Thank you so much  :D

And the stamp in the margin - I can't quite make it out.

When Jane remarried in 1939 I have a copy of that marriage certificate. There is no stamp in the margin however it does state that she is a divorcee who was "formally married to James Gray Donaldson against whom she obtained ******* (illegible) divorce".

Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: EST scotty on Sunday 05 February 12 13:58 GMT (UK)
Hi guys
Just been reading these posts about the divorce stamp on a marriage certificate. Does that mean that the couple are now divorced? Or one of the two were divorced previously? Regards Ellie
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: bleckie on Sunday 05 February 12 15:09 GMT (UK)
Hi all

The part of the cert I posted was for the couple who divorced

Yours Aye
BruceL
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Gill87 on Sunday 05 February 12 17:55 GMT (UK)
Going back and looking at the marriage certificate for James Gray Donaldson and Jane Kennedy I can see the same stamp in the margin - this stamp must be added in the event of a divorce, although there is no entry in the amended entries. It means that the 2 people who appear in the entry with the stamp got divorced, if either of them go on to remarry they will be described as 'divorced' or 'divorcee' rather than 'widow' or 'spinster' etc.

But does any one know how common divorce was in the 1920s?

Or how you went about getting a divorce?
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: sancti on Sunday 05 February 12 20:35 GMT (UK)
In 1960 there were less than 2000 divorces in Scotland

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eEL69iDskI4C&pg=PA191&lpg=PA191&dq=scottish+divorces+1920s&source=bl&ots=Pkm21xC0Sv&sig=bU2R_BDdM82dPFwcBT6jIJakWHM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mOcuT5mmJsKj0QXv-IitCA&sqi=2&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=scottish%20divorces%201920s&f=false
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 05 February 12 22:46 GMT (UK)
state that she is a divorcee who was "formally married to James Gray Donaldson against whom she obtained ******* (illegible) divorce".

I think you'll find that it is 'formerly married' rather than 'formally', and that the illegible bit is 'decree of'.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Irishseeker on Sunday 31 March 13 00:34 GMT (UK)
Where do I go for the divorce records in Scotland please.My Aunt divorced twice,but don't know when.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 31 March 13 08:53 BST (UK)
Where do I go for the divorce records in Scotland please.My Aunt divorced twice,but don't know when.

If it's after 1984, Scotland's People.

Otherwise, the National Archives Records of Scotland www.nas.gov.uk - divorces are indexed by both the husband's full name and the maiden and married names of the wife, so if you put in both surnames you should get the relevant references.

The actual divorce papers are not online but you can either go to Edinburgh to see them, or order photocopies online. If you're going there in persdon you need to order them in advance because they are not stored in General Register House and they have to be fetched from wherever they are (used to be and probably still is West Register House, but unfortunately they closed the search room there).
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 31 March 13 08:57 BST (UK)
Going back and looking at the marriage certificate for James Gray Donaldson and Jane Kennedy I can see the same stamp in the margin - this stamp must be added in the event of a divorce, although there is no entry in the amended entries.

Yes. There is no need for an entry in the Register of Corrected Entries, because the stamp says all that the Registrar needed to know.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Irishseeker on Monday 01 April 13 03:42 BST (UK)
Thanks Forfarian,sorry I didn't post this in the right place,and I see this has been well covered,so thank you all.I will look it up in NAS.can't visit them,too far away.I'm a Kiwi ;)
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: JSHC on Monday 01 April 13 09:01 BST (UK)
Going back and looking at the marriage certificate for James Gray Donaldson and Jane Kennedy I can see the same stamp in the margin - this stamp must be added in the event of a divorce, although there is no entry in the amended entries.

Yes. There is no need for an entry in the Register of Corrected Entries, because the stamp says all that the Registrar needed to know.



I've found a couple of divorces and both had an RCE, one with a great level of detail on the circumstances.  If there is not a link to view the RCE, I would suggest contacting Scotlandspeople as they can supply a copy if it is not available to view.
Title: Re: Divorce in Scotland in the 1920s
Post by: Forfarian on Monday 01 April 13 09:46 BST (UK)
I see that I managed to include the phrase "order photocopies online". This was a slip of the ageing brain; I did not intend to include the word 'online' because as far as I am aware you cannot order photocopies online. You have to use the contact e-mail to do so, and to arrange payment.

My apologies for misleading you.