divorce pre 1933

[SueL]

Bad news, I'm afraid Roy

I finished trawling the divorce index backwards to 1907
(TNA refs J/78/7 to 16 covers 1907 to 1935) but regret I didn't find a single Crowcroft Divorce.

This could well indicate that she was still technically *married* when she went through the 2nd ceremony. However, if they'd been apart for years&years, could she have claimed the 7year bit about him being missing therefore presumed dead???

I've just looked back on your message and re-noted that the 1st marriage was in 1902 - if you'd like, I could check the years between 1907 and 1902? ...in case the 1907 baby was a "hiccup"?

sueL

[royston]

Hi Sue, I am so grateful for your efforts. If she divorced it would have been after the birth of my Mother (1908). So Granny could we have been a bigamist. As her second husband was a policeman I would have thought it rather risky, but from what my Father remembered about her she might well have been the type who did not care anyway.
Thanks again for your effort. Sorry to have been so long answering, you were a bit quick for me.
Happy New Year and goomessage=Hi Sue, I am so grateful for your efforts. If she divorced it would have been after the birth of my Mother (1908). So Granny could we have been a bigamist. As her second husband was a policeman I would have thought it rather risky, but from what my Father remembered about her she might well have been the type who did not care anyway.
Thanks again for your effort. Sorry to have been so long answering, you were a bit quick for me.
Happy New Year and good hunting on your on research, Roy

[Peter Goodey]

As indicated in the research notes that I suggested you looked at before, survival of case papers is shown as

1858-1927: almost all survive;
1928-1937: 80% survive (files from the district registries have been destroyed)

This implies that failing to find the case papers is not grounds for assuming that there was no divorce.

The definitive answer can only be obtained from the Principal Registry of the Family Division. The address is in the research notes.

[Mythology]

Yes, it's not something I've delved into a lot, but to the best of my knowledge Peter's right, as implied by that note, it isn't just the actual files that are missing in some cases, if the case files haven't survived, then they aren't indexed either.

I think you need Holborn.

Edit.
In other words (which might be clearer) J78 is only an index to J77 - not an index to all divorces including those for which the case files have not survived.

[Mythology]

The revamped Court Service website is a bit of a nightmare IMO, couldn't see anything about the fees (I expect they've gone up since I last used them) but I did find this which may help as (a) it has a slightly different phone number to that shown in TNA's leaflet, possibly specific to that department, and (b) it has an e-mail address:

Decree Absolute Search Section (020 7947 7017) (PRFD.decreeabsolutesearches@HMcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk) the Principal Registry of the Family Division holds a central index of all Decree Absolute granted in England and Wales from 1858 to date. This Section will also hold a central index of Final Dissolution Orders following the legislation changes in December 2005. This Section also deals with enquiries relating to Attachment of Earnings payments and Reciprocal Enforcements.

[Peter Goodey]

It certainly is a maze. However, hidden away in a dusty corner of the site I spotted this on fees:

On making a search in the index of decrees absolute kept at any divorce county court or District Registry for any specified period of ten calendar years or, if no period is specified, for the ten most recent years, and if appropriate, providing a certificate of decree absolute £10

[Mythology]

Funny you should say that - while you were typing I was still rummaging in hope and came across
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/d...s_06042006.htm
which says:
6 Searches
6.1 On making a search in the central index of decrees absolute or of final orders kept at the Principal Registry of the Family Division for any specified period of ten calendar years or, if no such period is specified, for the ten most recent years, and, if appropriate, providing a certificate of decree absolute or final order, as the case may be
£25

[Mythology]

So I think that probably means that if you don't know which local court to apply to for a search of their stuff and do it via Holborn for the complete index, it's £25 not £10.

It was a fiver the last time I did one!

[Peter Goodey]

Goodness knows what it all means.

Perhaps Royston will explain after he's contacted them

[Mythology]

Incidentally, I don't know if this is still the case (and I'm not going to plough through all the ifs buts and maybes to find out) but, if it's applicable, I've just remembered something. I ended up not paying the fiver. They were at Somerset House then, I was between jobs at the time and, when I handed in the form, the conversation went something like this:

(split due to duplication)