Divorce: An Act of Parliament (jan 1, 1700 – jan 1, 1857)
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Divorce was legal under the Church of England but expensive, and required an act of Parliament. In this time, only 314 private divorce acts were initiated. Adultery was the sole ground for divorce, and divorces were usually only available to the elite.
In 1857, the Matrimonial Causes Act made divorce slightly more accessible by moving divorce cases to a special court. Adultery was still the only viable ground for divorce, but women could allege cruel treatment and desertion.
“Living Heritage: Relationships.” UK Parliament. www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships, 25 Sept. 2019.
Rounce, Shance. "Where the Tory’s sit and ruin things for nice people." 2018. Web. Accessed 25 Sept 2019. Unsplash.com.
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Victorian Laws of Marriage & Divorce
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