Genealogy Chat

Hi,
I'm wondering if a divorce would be recorded in a newspaper?
The couple concerned married in 1933 in Tynemouth area, Northumberland.
I don't know when they divorced but in 1939 she is living elsewhere without her husband, though the 1939 National Register still lists her as married. I've tried looking in the newspapers in Findmypast but nothing has come up. I don't think I'm using the correct search words.
Could someone see if they can find a divorce for them please.
Their names are Thomas W Walker, and Eva Richardson.

I know they divorced as she married someone else later on.

What were their dates of birth?

Have you found Thomas elsewhere in 1939, or his death?

Does Eva's second marriage cert say she had been divorced?

Hi ArgyllGran,
Eva Richardson was born on 7th January 1905 near Alston, Cumberland. She went back to live there after the divorce.

Unfortunately I don't know anything about Thomas as yet - I've just sent for their marriage certificate, so I know I'm jumping the gun with this query, but thought I might have found their divorce.

I've just discovered that divorce records are on the National Archives, but I don't know how to get to the divorce records there.

I've never actually seen Eva's second marriage certificate, I just know the date they married as I actually knew them both when they were alive. Eva told me that she had been married before and divorced, and apart from his name I don't know any more yet, till I get their marriage certificate.

For our reference - living with her future second husband:

Eva Walker
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Eva Walker [Eva Cowan]
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 7 Jan 1905
Residence Date: 1939
Address: Pry House
Residence Place: Alston with Garrigill, Cumberland, England
Occupation: Housekeeper
Line Number: 38
Schedule Number: 106
Sub Schedule Number: 3
Enumeration District: HCAE
Borough: Alston with Garrigill
Registration district: 570/1 No 5
Household Members Age
Thomas Cowan 33
John A Cowan 29
Eva Walker 34
William S Walker 5
Thomas Jobson 11


Marriages Jun 1948 (>99%)
Cowan John A Walker Alston 1a 3
Cowan John A Richardson Alston 1a 3
Richardson Eva Cowan Alston 1a 3
Walker Eva Cowan Alston 1a 3

Worth having a read of this -

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/divorce/

4. Divorce case files, 1858-1972

Each divorce suit created a case file. The National Archives holds case files for all divorces from the Supreme Court 1858-1937 – very few case files survive after 1937.
4.1 What proportion of case files survive?

The survival rate of divorce case files is:

1858-1927: almost 100%
1928-1937: 80%
After 1937: less than 0.2%

4.4 How do I search for case files, 1917-1972?

Search Discovery, our catalogue, by name of petitioner, respondent or corespondent for divorce suits in England and Wales, both successful and unsuccessful, in J 77.

Very few files survive for the period 1938-1972. Files containing petitions dated after 1972 have not been transferred to the National Archives.
Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a person’s full name, such as “John Williams”.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/divorce/

Thanks very much ArgyllGran and Greyghost.
Yes, Eva was housekeeper to the Cowan brothers in 1939, living there with her young son. She married John Cowan in 1948.
I'll read the links tomorrow as its late now.

Thanks again to you both for your help.

I see in the British Newspaper Archive that quite a lot of divorces did make it into the papers in the 1930's and 40s - but I don't see one for an Eva Richardson, or Walker.

Also, searching divorces on the National Archives "Discovery" database, there's nothing coming up for Eva Walker.

Just read your reply ArgyllGran. It doesn't look good does it, seeing as After 1937: less than 0.2%.

I'll have a look tomorrow but won't hold my breath about finding anything.
Thanks again.

ArgyllGran - Thanks for searching for Eva - shame her divorce isn't there.

As she didn’t remarry till 1948 it suggests she wasn’t free to do so till then

Still showing as married in 1939 but not living with her husband may be they had separated

Or her husband had been called up for ww2


You need the marriage cert for its info

Thanks Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it .
Yes, it does suggest she was seperated doesn't it. I've ordered the marriage certificate and am eagerly waiting for it coming next week.

You can't assume she was divorced unless you know for certain that her first husband hadn't died.

ErikaH, Eva was my Great Aunty, and she had told me that she had divorced him.
Unfortunatley I wasn't interested in family history then, so didn't ask her or other family any further information.

That wasn't made clear in your original post ;-) ;-)

Sorry ErikaH Its just that I knew they had divorced and was asking how to find the divorce records. :-)