General Chat

Hi. :-)
Please can anyone tell me if divorce records are online and if so where can I find them?
Don't seem to be able to find any on the usual family tree research sites.
Anywhere else I should be looking?
Thanks.

You could try newspapers :-)

From the National Archives website:-

The survival rate of divorce case files is:

1858-1927: almost 100%
1928-1937: 80%
After 1937: less than 0.2%
No case files survive from the district registries set up in 1927.

You probably need the National Archives site.

Remember that most working class people couldn't afford to get divorced until the late 1950's /early 1960's. Before this lots of couples just separated and went on to "live with" another partner or some married bigamously. Other's (like my in-laws who met during WW2 when my father-in-law was still married but his wife was living with another partner and had more children by him) just had the female change her name by deed pole.

Kath. x

Oh thanks guys.
Yes the person I have in question married again but I have my suspicions she married bigamously ;-)

Two bigamous marriages among my direct ancestors. One changed name completely before marrying again (it became my surname but at least I knew we weren't using our real surname) and the other declared widowed!

Neither ancestor had living children to spouse one though.

Oh what a tangled web we weave .....

I bet they never thought they'd be caught out. :-D

This is the sort of thing that the Times has for free, to get the details you need to shell out.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/archive/find/ralph+leigh+hare

The survival rate of "case files" is far higher than the NA admit, mainly because families themselves often kept copies and many solicitors have fiche / microfilm records going way back. However these are wildly unlikely to become available online. I have found that law firms can be helpful where (a) you can prove a family connection and (b) the principals are deceased. As they are law firms expect to be billed.

The press in general often has divorce references either in the BMD section or paid announcements.

Bigamy was a rare crime mainly due to the heavy sentences and real risk of being denounced. More commonly the new couple simply set up shop under new management and got on with it from there. It can make FH research quite tricky especially when a woman has had three or more partners.

By far the easiest way to track down C20 divorces is via other people in your tree.