Divorce-is it possible to see records?.....

[joette]

I am wondering if there is somewhere that it is possible to view Divorce
Records.I dont want to know the nitty-gritty just when they divorced,provision if any for the children,distribution of any property.
If there is any corespondent mentioned it might enable me to track down a remarriage also.This would be about 1920 so I doubt that this is avaiable.
I am totally ignorant re divorce where are Records held-presuambly there are ones kept?

[LesleyB]

Hi Joette
I don't know much about this as I've never had cause to follow one up but I do know there seem to be lots of divorces mentioned in the National Archives of Scotland catalogue, and even relatively recent ones (like the 1970s & 80s - well, I think thats recent!! ) . Try:

http://www.dswebhosting.info/nas/

I suspect NAS is where they are held, but I'm sure someone else will be able to give you more details.
Best wishes
Lesley

[AndrewP]

Hi Joette,

In New Register House, the divorce register did not start until 1984. I have seen one case (1930s ?) where the divorce was recorded as an RCE on the original marriage certificate. The Register of Corrected Entries had the details of the divorce. Do you have a copy of the original marriage certificate? If so, is there an RCE stamp mark in the left margin?

Otherwise, Lesley's suggestion of trying records at NAS is probably your best way forwards with this one.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[DavidWW]

The register from 1984 is completely open, as are the pre-1984 RCEs.

David

[joette]

Thanks for your reply.The marriage certificate does not have an RCE on the side.Does this mean they werent divorced? This could be a case of going off with a more affluent man & being his "bidey-in".This might have been less scandalous than being a divorcee in the 1920 especially as she might have got "off her mark "as far as the children go which totally shocked my Granny(it was her sister-in-law.) The children may have been young adults but I dont know their ages. This is one of the few scandals in my Family but I would like to know the facts & not a version coloured by supposition.She was only 18 when she married a man 13 years older.She was the youngest of a large & well spaced family so may have been a bit of a "Grannies Bairn" but there I go making suppositions about somebody I dont know.

[DavidWW]

Thanks for your reply.The marriage certificate does not have an RCE on the side.Does this mean they werent divorced? This could be a case of going off with a more affluent man & being his "bidey-in".This might have been less scandalous than being a divorcee in the 1920 especially as she might have got "off her mark "as far as the children go which totally shocked my Granny(it was her sister-in-law.) The children may have been young adults but I dont know their ages. This is one of the few scandals in my Family but I would like to know the facts & not a version coloured by supposition.She was only 18 when she married a man 13 years older.She was the youngest of a large & well spaced family so may have been a bit of a "Grannies Bairn" but there I go making suppositions about somebody I dont know.

Joette

As one of the Scottish newspapers' favourite football managers says "Maybes aye, maybes naw".

The theory was that, prior to 1984, the fact of a divorce was recorded via an RCE annotation in the normally blank extreme left hand column of the marriage register entry, but that could only happen if the Registrar General was sent the information, supposed to be an automatic process if it was the Court of Session in Edinburgh, but I'm not sure just how reliable the English courts were in this respect.

David

[tishgibbons]

Hi,

I see from these posts that post 1984 RCE's are open. Where would I find them and if they're not on-line would any kind soul do a look up and does anyone know if and when they will be available on SP?!

Tish

[AndrewP]

Hi Tish,

All RCEs (all dates) are open if you (or someone on your behalf) can get to New Register House.

I presume that when these come online at ScotlandsPeople, they will be accessed from the page with the original certificate, and hence will hold the closure periods of the original certificates of 100 years (birth), 75 years (marriages) and 50 years (births).

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[DavidWW]

......snipped...........I presume that when these come online at ScotlandsPeople, they will be accessed from the page with the original certificate, and hence will hold the closure periods of the original certificates of 100 years (birth), 75 years (marriages) and 50 years (births).

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

Not necessarily !! The question has been asked and an answer is awaited, the key point being if an RCE entends into the otherwise closed era.

David

[tishgibbons]

Thanks Andrew. I'll post a request for a look-up.

Tish