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Hi Quinsgran

Sorry I thought you had to be a member of Find my Past to see the 1911 census....

The address given by David in 1909 is 5 Horsell Street, Swindon. 1911 census search by address only gives nos 2-10 Horsell Street - No number 5?

I have no idea where George was born at the moment, I only found out about him yesterday. I knew from the 1911 census I have showing Jemima living with her son Peter and Joseph the boarder she had 3 children 2 surviving, but I never knew his name until I received the divorce paperwork.

The divorce only mentions the child George, who is in custody of David Darling. It does not mention my grandfather Peter born 1907, so I assume David did not believe Peter was his child.

As the divorce states Jemima committed adultery, maybe Joseph was Peters father?

David also states he and Jemima lived as man and wife in Southampton but from about 1909 she lived in Rochester with Joseph Drywood. My grandfather was born in 1907 so before Jemima was supposed to be living with Joseph.

Maybe my grandfather was born whilst David was away, possibly at sea? and that is why David does not refer to him as his child?

Debbie.
The word Sheweth isnt his place of birth. It means to show or prove . He was proving he was married to Jemima when she committed adultery
The 1911 census is free to search. You pay to see the details but you can find others of the same surname living at the address.
However your problem is David John Darling is a sailor so possibly not at home with George.
There are 5 George Darling born 1902-1904
Kensington,Wandsworth,Alnwick and 2 in Sunderland

Could it be they are living in Scotland?
Where was George born?
Just checked and David G Darling 1876 onboard ship is born in Norwich. Hes single occ greaser

Sorry Debbie you have to pay to get any information

Thank you Quinsgran,

does it say in what capacity? a worker?

Jemima was born in 1880 so he may have been quite a bit older than her.

There is a David G Darling 1876
Hes on a ship( shipping) Southampton

I think it was easier to say widow than divorcee

I had hoped this divorce info would answer questions…. but I seem to now have more questions.

A) My granddad was born 1907 yet is not mentioned in this petition dated 1909-1911 – so maybe he was the child of Joseph Drywood?
B) Although living at the same address as Joseph Drywood in 1911 census, Jemima married George Fairbrother as a widow in 1913 not a divorcee
C) I still can not find any marriage between Jemima and David (Darling or Sheweth) – checked FreeBMD & Scotlands people
D) I can’t find any record for Joseph Drywood on FreeBMD or Scotlands people

Any ideas?

Thank you

Probate Divorce and Admiralty Division Divorce

15th day of February 1910

The humble petition of DAVID JOHN DARLING SHEWETH

1 That your petitioner was on the 27th December 1899 lawfully married to Jemima Darling then Inglis Spinster at 35 George IV Bridge in the City of Edinburgh according to the law of Scotland.

2 That after his said marriage your petitioner lived and cohabited with his said wife at 8 Duke Street in the City and County of Southampton and a diver other places and there is now living issue of the said marriage ONE CHILD GEORGE DARLING born 2nd of July 1903.

3 That the said Jemima Darling has frequently committed adultery with a man named Joseph Drywood

4 That from about the month of March 1909 down to the present time the said Jemima Darling and the said Joseph Drywood have lived and cohabited together as man and wife at 5 Ruby Cottage, Corporation Street, Rochester in the County of Kent and during that time have habitually committed adultery.

5 That you petitioner who is an Engineer’s assistant resides at 5 Horsell Street, Swindon in the County of Wilts and is domiciled in England

6 That the said Jemima Darling resides at 5 Ruby Cottage, Corporation Street, Rochester aforementioned.

7 That there have been no proceedings previous hereto in the Divorce Division of the High Court with reference to the said marriage by or on behalf of either of the parties to the said marriage.

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONER PRAYS
That his said marriage may be dissolved and that he have custody of his child and such further and other relief in the premises as to this Honourable Court may seem meet.

Pg 2

I DAVID JOHN DARLING of 5 Horsell Street, Swinton in the County of Wilts the above named petitioner make oath as follows:

The statement contained in paragraphs 1,2,5,6 & 7 of my petition hereto annexed are true.

That the statements contained in paragraphs 3 & 4 of the said petition I believe to be true.

That no collusion or connivance exists between me and the said Jemima Darling.

Sworn at Swinton in the County Court 15th day of February 1910.

Pg 3

I do hereby certify that the proceedings in this Cause are correct and the pleadings in order

31st day of Oct 1910

Pg 4

Feb 16th Church Adams and Prior 11 Bedford Row, filed petitioner for dissolution of marriage affidavit and issues 2 citations

Oct 27 Petitioner filled 2 affidavits with citations & affidavits of search for appearances
(handwritten,difficult to read)

Nov 1 Petitioner filed notices and certificate and set down cause

Pg 5

Before the honourable SIR HENRY BARGRAVE DEANE Knight one of the justices of the High Court.

Sitting at the Royal Court of Justice, Strand in the County of Middlesex

On 21st November 1910 Darling against Darling & Drywood

The judge having taken the oral evidence of the petitioner and of the witnesses produced on his behalf in support of the petitioner filed in this cause.

And having heard Counsel thereon neither the respondent nor the co-respondent defending this suit at the hearing
Pronounced that the petitioner had sufficiently proved the contents of the said petition and decreed that the marriage had and solemnized on the 27th December 1899 at 35 George IV Bridge in the City of Edinburgh in Scotland between David John Darling the petitioner and jemima Darling (then Inglis Spinster) the respondent be dissolved by reason that since the celebration thereof the said Respondent has been guilty of adultery with the co-respondent Joseph Drywood

Unless sufficient cause be shown to the court why this Decree should not be made absolute within six months from the making thereof and condemned.

The Co-Respondent in the costs incurred and to be incurred on behalf of the said petitioner of the cause.

And on application of counsel for the petitioner it is ordered that George darling the child issue of the marriage between the Petitioner and Respondent do remain in the custody of the Petitioner until further order of the court, but it is directed that such child be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the court without its sanction.

And it is ordered that the Petitioners do pay to the respondent her taxed costs, not to exceed the amount ordered to be paid into Court or secured for the wife’s costs of hearing (crossed through)

Pg 6

On the 29th day of May 1911

Referring to the Decree made in this Cause on the 21st day of November 1910 whereby it was decreed that the Marriage had and Solemnized on the 27th day of December 1899 at 35 George IV Bridge in the City of Edinburgh in Scotland between David Darling and Jemima Darling (then Inglis Spinster) the respondent be dissolved by reason that the celebration thereof the said respondent had been guilty of

Adultery with the co-respondent Joseph Drywood

Unless sufficient cause shown to the court why the said Decree should not be made absolute, within six months from the making thereof- and no such cause having been shown, the judge on application of the said petitioner by his final Decree pronounced and declared the said marriage to be dissolved

Look forward to hearing what info is on the divorce paper. Guessing from the cost it must beabout 10 pages as I think NAS charge around 50p per page for copying.

I'll decide after we hear whether to order my grandfather-in-law's divorce papers!

The divorce paperwork has cost £7.10 to copy and send. I have no idea how much there is....

Should be here in a few days...

Pandoras box? I'll let you know

Just an up-date

I have had to order the divorce paperwork on-line. I have asked for an estimate as there is no way of knowing how much paperwork is involved. The auto response tells me I will receive my estimate in 10 days..... Then I need to order what they have found.

I hope it is worth the wait!!!!

Hi Rootgatherer

Of course I will up-date you. I could also add the info it gives to the Tips board I suppose.

The David you found is the only one I have found also. And I tend to agree he came from Scotland. I have searched Scottish People, in fact I go through credits as quickly as I buy them....

I am hoping the divorce info will help with finding him, if not I may have put it in the hands of a researcher.

Had a look on Scotlandspeople for a birth for a David JOHN Darling but there are none in the correct time period. On freeBMD there is only this one in Norwich who may be a twin.

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1877 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DARLING Charles George Norwich 4b 121
DARLING David John Norwich 4b 121


I still feel that David would have been Scottish probably from the Borders - especially if he married Jemima in Edinburgh. I wonder if he just added John as a middle name as it looks unlikely that he was registered with it.

Debbie

When you get the divorce details, can you update us please - if that's not too cheeky. It may help others to know what information it gives. Also, I admit to being curious as I remember some of the details from your previous posting about Jemima and David.

I do hope that some useful information comes from the paperwork.

I have to say that I have never doubted David's existance as Darling is a fairly common surname in the area that Jemima came from (I have a couple myself from that region).


With regards to the marriage, it is just possible that for some reason it has been missed from the index and that's why you're not finding it!

True Minnie

At least I now now I'm chasing a real person not just a name. I have requested a copy of the divorce, it may name the children and help me find the missing child.

If they divorced, they must have also married, but goodness only knows why I can't find that.

Id they divorced it certainly suggests they were actually married - otherwise they couldn't divorce - or wouldnt go thru the rigmarole anyway

Well, at least you know there's a marriage now.

I clicked on the heading:
Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Div...
and got taken to another page headed "Item details J 77/998/312" that said pretty much the same thing again, except over on the toppish-right there was a "Request this" button, which apparently lets me buy a (paper or digital) copy of this file if I can't get to Kew and view it for free.

Well mgnv.... I didn't expect this!

Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Div...
Divorce Court File: 312. Appellant: David John Darling. Respondent: Jemima Darling. Co-respondent: Joseph Drywood. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd]. . Divorce Court File: 312. Appellant: David John Darling. Respondent: Jemima Darling. Co-respondent: Date: 1910.

Joseph Drywood is named as a lodger in the 1911 census....Oops

At least I now know David existed....

The times I have been on this site and found nothing... I wonder what my chances are of getting a copy of this?

Thank you mgnv

I will look at that site now.

Re: wife x'ed out and head substituted. I would take this to mean that she was still married to David, and he was probably at sea. I think she was supposed to say head in this circumstance, but didn't really think of herself as the head of the household. One regularly sees the wife in this circumstance call herself "Wife" in Scottish fishing villages. I've seen this often in Aberdeenshire - as a byproduct, Ancestry gets all confused about where the household starts, and mixes up two households.



It's quite possible the marriage was a so-called irregular marriage that went unregistered, as most of them did.



One possibility is that the missing kid is with his grandparents or an aunt/uncle. You might well have to wait another couple of years to check this out properly.


See "Merchant Seamen" at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp?WT.lp=gs-researchguides

Hello rootgatherer

Never confirmed David Darling sadly. I sent for a birth cert but it was an unlikely match due to his age and location....

As you say 1911 Scottish census may answer lots of answers. But the birth of the missing child is a real mystery?

I wonder if there is such a thing as ship registers that can be accessed?