Thread: Help with divorce

I could quite possibly have uncovered a family 'skeleton' while researching our family history and am wondering if any of you's know approximately how long a divorce would take during the 1920's in the UK and how easily obtainable the divorce would be with one party out of the country.



My grandfather left England for Australia in either 1924 or 1925 at the time of him leaving he was still married to his wife as he expected her and his two children (at the time of him leaving) to follow on after him. His wife never did go after him, opting to stay in England with her children. In Sept 1926 his wife gave birth to another son, registered as being born to my grandfather.



Then in Dec 1927 his wife married her second husband (rumoured to be the actual father of her youngest son). What I'm trying to find information on is if it is possible for my grandmother to have been granted a divorce from my grandfather within the 2 year (if he left in 1925) before she remarried.



For years there has been 'whispers' throughout our family that my grandfather remarried while he was in Australia whilst he was still married to his wife. This was proven wrong when 2 years ago I managed to trace him in Australia & had contact with the family he was working & living with. He never remarried at all in Australia, in fact they never knew right up until I contacted them that he'd been married at all. Unfortunately he died while over there and none of us grandchildren ever met him.



Now it seems that it may possibly have been my grandmother that married again while still being married to her first husband and may have had a son that she registered as belonging to my grandfather, who was possibly born to her soon to be 2nd husband.



I'd be grateful if anyone has any information on divorce during the 1920's or any links to where I may find out about their divorce.



Thanks



Jo x

Divorce in 1920s was expensive and difficult, so a lot of people didn't bother, but just pretended they were divorced or more likely never married.



This should help to tell you where to look http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/f...story/divorce/



as for how long it took, 2 years would be ample I would have thought. Today if only takes a few months to sort the actual divorce - its the haggling over money etc that takes up the time.

Thanks for the link, have searched and there's only 4 entries for the surname I'm researching, none of them my grandparents.



After a little searching around the net it seems my grandmother would of only been able to seek a divorce if she could prove her husband's adultery, which would of been hard as it seems it was her who committed adultery. She could also seek a divore on the grounds of desertion, but could only do this if her husband and left her for a number of years (two years or more). If this is correct it's unlikely her divorce would of been settled within the two years between him leaving and her remarrying, however if it was 1924 when he went to australia her divorce may well have been settled, but that would mean the youngest son was definately not to my grandfather ................. families ...... who needs them! lol



Thanks for your reply