Review: Divorced, Bigamist, Bereaved? by Rebecca Probert

Divorced, Bigamist, Bereaved? by Rebecca Probert, Takeaway, 2015, 209 p.

             A follow-up to the author’s earlier work, “Marriage Law For Genealogists,” this book takes a closer look the end of marriages, and at remarriage, from 17^th  to the 20^th century in England and Wales.  During this period, marriage most commonly ended with the death of spouse as obtaining a divorce could be difficult, and in some cases, impossible to obtain.

            Probert’s study is broken into five chapters:  1) Divorced  2) Separated 3) Bigamist 4) Bereaved 5) Remarriage to the Same Person.  In each of the chapters the author uses case studies from her own research to illustrate the sets of circumstances that could exist when encountering these various states of marriage endings in one’s own research.  She provides the information required to understand the rules and expectations that society had for marriage in general, and for its dissolution.  In her chapter on divorce, for example, the author discusses the strict divorce laws in place in England throughout the years, what had to be proven in order to obtain a divorce, what the chances of a successful marriage dissolution were, who was most likely to be able to obtain a divorce, and the rules around divorcees and remarriage.

            Included in the introduction is a brief glossary of terms found in records pertaining to marriage law.  Also provided is a detailed table of contents, an index and a bibliography.  Divorced, Bigamist, Bereaved? is a thoroughly interesting, accessible read that imparts important background information that will foster a better understanding of the marriage and the course of its endings for family historians.