Single & unmarried?

[Jill]

OH's relative Olive Jenner married John George Samonelle on 24 Mar 1864 at St Mary, Battersea.

Both the banns & marriage entry are on the LMA records on Ancestry, on both Samonelle is described as "Single & unmarried" - why not a bachelor?

In 1861 he is married to an Emily and has 4 children...


Edit to say now I know his name is Samouelle, he was divorced by Emily, (OH's relative wasn't the co-respondent though)

[Nell]

single is a term I've seen a lot in early marriage and banns records as well as "single man" and "single woman" before the more usual spinster and bachelor. I've never seen unmarried though!

[Gert in Oz]

Possibly because he was previously married and divorced, so wasn`t classed as batchelor

[Nell]

I'd be rather surprised if he was divorced. It was only made possible in 1858 and you had to be extremely wealthy. It was also socially disapproved of, though more so for women than for men, of course!

[Merry]

I'd be rather surprised if he was divorced. It was only made possible in 1858 and you had to be extremely wealthy. It was also socially disapproved of, though more so for women than for men, of course!

He was divorced in 1861, Nell (TNA).

I think it was possible to obtain a divorce before 1858 - wasn't it before that they had to pass an individual act of parliament? Agatha Ariel was divorced by her OH in the 1840s (I think!)

[Nell]

Merry

1858 was when it was made easier to divorce. Before that you had to have an individual act of Parliament and hardly anyone did this as it was very expensive. I read a book "Broken Lives" about it and it involved at least 3 courts listening to evidence, all very sordid.

When I was a child we didn't know any one who was divorced. Now I know more divorced people than married ones!

[Jill]

Emily's father was a builder so maybe he financed the divorce. Luckily for me the divorce was after the 1861 census.

I hope he didn't stray again...