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divorce records

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Christina

Christina Report 13 Apr 2008 10:40

is there a place to check if someone was divorced back in 1880's
i may have found skeleton in cupboard!!!

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 13 Apr 2008 11:21

Unless they were quite well off it's unlikely they got divorced as it was difficult and expensive to get a divorce in those days. Usually if a marriage broke down they just separated and if they met someone else they either just lived together as if they were married or married bigamously as there weren't too many checks done in those days.

Kath. x

Christina

Christina Report 13 Apr 2008 11:24

i think thats what has happened here
shock, horror!!!!!

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 13 Apr 2008 11:28

I wouldn't worry about it. Most of us find something similar in our tree.

My husbands parents got together in the 1930's and we always thought they were married, but he had been married before and didn't divorce, so they must have just let everyone think they were married. My husband and his brother were both registered as if the parents were married.

I searched for years for their marriage until an elderly relative told us that she knew they had never actually married.

I'm sure future generations will find it almost impossible to find their ancestors because of the number of people who don't marry and have several partners.

Kath. x