Genealogy Chat

I was really surprised I looked at this census for some rather distant ancestors the lady having married a man from Germany, she was living on her own with 3 children but gives her married status as separated - never come across this statement before.

How do I find the divorce for them.

They may never have divorced.

Unless either wanted to re-marry they may not have felt the need.

Also they could still have re-married and kept quiet about it.

Happened in my family. g/g/aunt married as a widow, mum and sister were witnesses, only problem husband was alive and well and living 2 streets away and 2nd hubby worked in same job as first and came from same village in Suffolk!!!!

Lesley, what DazedConfused says is very true - there was quite a bit of bigamy, one of the reasons being that divorce was very expensive and not within the reach of many (there were exceptions, though).

There are divorce indexes up to 1937 on the National Archives site and Ancstry has records with the original images up to 1912.

If you want to give details we could take a look.

'Separated' is not the same as 'divorced'

Thanks for the replies I think you are right and they did not get divorced as I have found her death many years later under her married name. He is not on the 1911 Census and their last child was born in Berlin so presumably she left him in Germany and came back with her 3 children to live in England.

I was however surprised to find that she had actually put the word separated on the Census as I have never seen anyone do that before.

GR has the same records - Divorce Index 1858 to 1873

Shame there are apparently none for a later dates.

I agree with you Lesley, it's very unusual - I have looked up many records and have never seen this term used in this way. Even when obviously separated, people usually put 'married'. Very interesting
Jan

NS if you go to the National Archives records you can order copies at the same time.

Do not know if this facility is provided by GR, or if they make a service charge for the same paperwork, I know that other sites do charge more for BMDs etc. when it is cheaper to go to the source.

As said before 'talk to the organ grinder and not his monkey'

Oh and I had a very lucky hit on A****. Found a 1930's divorce and ALL the paperwork was there to view as well. Not a common find. More likely with the older ones.

It is all down to choice.

One of my gt.grandmothers also described herself as seperated on the 1911 census.

I wonder if she was receiving any help for her children, so wanted it to be clear that she wasn't being supported by her husband.