This new set of records from Ancestry.co.uk will, for some, definitely comes under the heading of belonging to the skeleton in the cupboard !!! However most genealogists soon discover that you need to embrace the records that don’t reflect well on our ancestors as well as those which do.
The Civil Divorce Records 1858 – 1911 can provide lots of information for family histories, claim and counter claim about the reason why a divorce is being sort plus date of marriage, children born and where the couple lived.
A test search for the name Elliott brought forth 108 results. I chose Archibald McVine Elliott as my example. the document gave the following information.
Mary Adele Elliott v Archibald Elliott
| Petition filed by Mary Adele Elliott | 20 June 1888 |
| Decree Nisi | 27 Oct 1888 |
| Final Decree | 30 April 1889 |
| Solicitor for Mary Adele Elliott | Edwin Hughes of the Strand |
| Married | 2 August 1873 at St Gabriel, Pimlico between Archibald McVine Elliott & Mary Adele Gibbs, spinster |
| Reason for divorce | adultery coupled with desertion for 2 years and upwards without cause |
| Child of the marriage | Grace Lydia Miller Elliott born 8 December 1876 |
| Address of Mary A Elliott | 166 Cambridge Road, Pimlico |
| Address the couple lived at | 7 Sutherland Place, Pimlico |
| 39 Lorimore Road, Walworth | |
| 23 Basnet Grove, Lavender Hill, Wandsworth | |
| Archibald deserted Mary | on or about 13 September 1876 |
| Archibald’s adultery | February 1882 at 273 Cable Street, Shadwell Archibald lived and co-habited with Elsie or Elise Morgan. Another 5 address where Archibald & Elsie lived are given. Also Archibald & Elsie went under the name of Mr & Mrs Hamilton. |
| Death of Elsie Morgan | 22 January 1888 |
| After Elsie’s death Archibald went to live with his sister Mrs Grace Dowie Harding of 460 Harrow Road, London | |
| Archibald’s relation | Stepmother, 4 brothers (2 in Bethlehem Hospital, one secretary of the Badminton Club, Piccadilly, one a doctor at the Colonial Hospital, Geraldton, Western Australia, one sister. |
| Marriage certificate | Copy of marriage certificate included in file |
| Death certificate | Copy of death certificate of John Archibald Hamilton who died aged 4 months at 273 Cable Street. John must have been a son of Archibald & Elsie. |
There are 19 pages in all, some are double pages. As can be seen there is an enormous amount of information to be found in these records. A valuable addition to the Ancestry set of databases.
