Divorce

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available.

Between 1700 and 1857 the only way of obtaining a divorce was by a private Act of Parliament. The records of these are in the House of Lords Library. TNA also have a few of these private Acts (ref. C89 and C204).

After 1858 all divorce cases were heard by the newly established Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. This continued until 1875 when the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the Supreme Court took over. Indexes to divorce decrees absolute are now held by the Principal Registry of the Family Division, who will conduct a search of the national registers for a fee and arrange copies to sent to you. If you want to find out the grounds for divorce you will also need to order the decree nisi.

TNA hold surviving divorce case files and papers 1858-1954 in the series ref. J 77, with indexes at ref. J 78. See here for further information. Divorce files 1858-1937 are subject to a 75 year closure period; the indexes 1858-1958 are closed for 30 years. Permission to consult individual case papers in the files which are closed may be obtained from the Principal Registry of the Family Division (see above).

From the 1950s onwards divorce cases could also be heard in local county courts as well as the Principal Registry of the Family Division at London. Unfortunately very few records of West Yorkshire county courts have survived and it is assumed the majority of these divorce records have been destroyed.