Genealogy Chat

Hi. Just wondering if any one can tell me how I go about finding who my dad's first wife was? My Dad was much older than my Mum when they met and I know he had a grown up family with his first wife but was never told her name so I'm a bit stumped on how to find out. Both are dead now and I never know any of my dad's family as they seperated when I was small. I have his birth cert and marriage cert to my Mum but nothing about his former family. Is there a divorce register you can access? I'm completly new to this. Would really appricate any advise out there.

Many thanks Jo

Hi Jo

You can apply for a search...however, unless you know the case number it will cost you £40 for a 10 year search (it went up Oct 06) It could be a little difficult is you dont know her name, unless he has an unusual name?

The address you need to apply to is

Principal Registry of the Family Division
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London, WC1V 6NP

Telephone number: +44 (0) 20 7947 6000

Thanks Willow. No , have absolutly no information at all. My Dad was 60 when he married my Mum so all I know is there was this grown up family ( I think two boys and a girl). I've never know any of his side of the family and now all my immediate relations are dead I'd like to know who they are.

Many thanks for this info . I'll give a call later today. Jo

Hi Jo

Not being nosey. Did he by any chance leave a will. What im thinking is that he may have left money to his other children?

Hi Willow.

Only leaving everything to my Mum. He was living in Cheltenham and we had come back to Ireland so I remember my Mum telling me that he had nothing when he died , that she had to prove they were seperated so the state would pay for the cremation! Don't know what happened, as he was a consulting engineer and quite well off at one time but my Mum wouldn't even talk about why they split and I was warned at an early age not to ask, so now left with all these unanswered questions! So I presume he lost all his money as was living in an hotel before he died.

Before you spend out £40.

Have you looked through the complete Marriage indexes for his first marriage. You have his marriage cert to your mum and his birth, so you know his parents names which will help you confirm his first marriage.

Does he have a very common name?

John Russell Dodd

When was he born? would you like me to have a look for you? or are you okay looking.

Would you mind? That would be fantastic as I'm getting really bogged down trying figure out. He was born 30th May 1912. he married my Mum in 1973. so some where in between the first wife came in...

.

No, I dont mind. I will let you know how I get on.

Oh, Thanks a million. Your absolutly brillient. Do you need the address he was born at?

Hi

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