and now, the divorce

[lazarus]

William Grady Brooks divorced (or was divorced by) Dollie Powell on 15 Nov 1920, in Bullock County, Alabama.

I've tried looking at the divorce records on Ancestry, but I'm apparently an idiot. What I'm looking for is why the divorce happened, or at least who initiated it.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Little Star]

1. Lazarus, here is a interesting article...............

I'm not sure there is any way to find divorce records on the net. If you do find a way please let us know.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/405263/finding_divorce_records_in_alabama.html?cat=17

[dgibby]

2. Is there a family Bible available,

either her side or his? My mother recorded her divorce from her first husband, along with the reason in the family Bible. That was when I found out she'd been married before she married my dad. Imagine my surprise!

You could also request the divorce record from the clerk of family court for that county.

Good luck!

[Rosie1223]

3. Divorce proceedings are public records

A friend of mine recently got that divorce record for her father's first marriage that she never knew about (until a woman claiming to be her sister showed up!). You will be able to see who filed, why and if there was any witness testimony. You will have to write to the county courthouse to request the records.

BTW the woman was not her sister, rather was conceived after the divorce, probably fathered by the man named in the divorce as the reason for the separation.

On edit: divorce was not as uncommon as many think back in the day. Though many second marriages were because of the death of one spouse, I have record of one gggg? Uncle being sued for divorce in Illinois about 1815 because he abandoned his wife.

[csziggy]

4. Here is how to find where to write for vital records

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm

Where to Write for Vital Records

The links below are provided for those users who want direct access to individual state and territory information. To use this valuable tool, you must first determine the state or area where the birth, death, marriage, or divorce occurred, then click on that state or area. Please follow the provided guidelines to ensure an accurate response to your request.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm



This is a very convenient link to keep since it gives quick access to the information for the entire US and its territories.

[lazarus]

5. thank you

and thanks to everyone who posted in reply to me. I've been traveling, and just got the chance to check this thread.

[furgee]

6. Divorces aren't always what you think they are.

A number of years ago I attended a lecture by the Court archivist here in Illinois. He was explaining how to go about locating divorce records. If I recall correctly they were indexed by names and dates. He talked about how divorces were difficult to come by in the early years before No Fault came into practice. He said when reading the record you should be skeptical of the grounds for the divorce. Many times the grounds were made up with the help of the lawyers in order to get a divorce. One of the parties would willingly accept to be the fall guy in order to get the divorce.

[trud]

7. I remember that

from when I was a kid. People had to fake adultery. Some hired detective would burst into a room and surprise! find the hubby in bed with someone, all fake, and he'd take a photo of the "startled" couple to use in the divorce proceedings. You'll be happy to know the photos were not graphic, only shoulders were exposed.