Ancestry.co.uk, the family history website, has launched online the UK Civil Divorce Records, 1858-1911 – revealing the details of nearly 70,000 divorce proceedings taking place in the 19th and early 20th century.
Each record within the collection, held by The National Archives, includes the names of the husband, wife and any other ‘involved parties’, as well as the grounds for divorce or nullification – such as adultery, mistreatment, or inability to consummate the marriage due to ‘malformation or impotency’.
The records often reveal significant details of the marriage prior to the break up and the wrongdoing of the husband or wife.
The records also include civil court records on separation, custody battles, legitimacy claims and nullification of marriages.
Miriam Silverman, UK Content Manager, from Ancestry.co.uk said: “Just like the Victorians of the day, we couldn’t help but be fascinated by the accounts detailed within these divorce records.
“At the time, such tales often developed into national news stories, but now they’re more likely to tell us something about the double standards of the Victorian divorce system or help us learn more about the lives of our sometimes naughty ancestors.”
