Index to Divorces 1861 - 1894
Background
This index was compiled from two main series of divorce files created by the Supreme Court of Queensland, Southern District, Brisbane:
- Series ID 5688, Matrimonial Petitions, 1861-1976
Divorce records are otherwise known as Matrimonial petitions or causes (writs) or Common Law writs. Matrimonial writs are marked "Mat" or "Matrimonial". Matrimonial petitions were kept as a separate series from 1861 to 1894 (Series ID 5688) and from 1961 onwards; from 1894 to 1961 they were kept together with other writs in Series ID 5687.
These files usually contain a range of documents including:
- petitions & notice of petitions
- citations for respondent & co-respondent
- orders for summons
- praecipe for subpoena
- pleas & statements
- certificate of marriage
- affidavit of service & identification
- joinder of issue
- certificate of Registrar
- notice of trial
- decree nisi and
- decree absolute
- maintenance orders
- costs
Please note that earlier files do not always contain a marriage certificate or maintenance orders. Some of the files have been water damaged.
The images below (click for larger image) are documents found within a matrimonial writ file. From Divorce No. 166 of 1894 Stewart -v- Holzmann, the Front cover of the file (on the left) listing all documents within the file and item No. 17 the Decree Nisi cover page (on the right).
Explanatory Notes
- indicates there is doubt about the entry due to difficulty in interpreting handwriting refer to the See Also entries for other possibilities
- Check all possible spelling variants as names appear as written in the original record
- Some given names are abbreviated as they appear in the original record
- Mc and Mac names are interfiled
- - or a blank cell indicates that there is no information recorded in the original
- Names have been indexed without an apostrophe e.g. O DWYER
- Asiatic names are written as they appear in the original record
Search the Index
Divorces 1861-1894 (PDF 31 KB)PLEASE NOTE: Adobe Reader is required to open and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files and is free to download from: the Adobe website.
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Costs and Ordering
The cost for each reference required is $12.50. For the fee, you will receive up to eight (8) pages.
Please quote the Name of the person (Family and Given names), date filed and Reference.
To order copies of an item, click here for an order form.
How to Order Individual Entries
Other Records
See also Supreme Court of Queensland, Southern District, Brisbane Series ID 5687, Writs, 1857-2007. To locate record within this series refer to Search Procedure 6: Divorces
See also Supreme Court of Queensland, Northern District, Townsville Series ID 6242, Matrimonial Petitions, 1879-1976. This series is item listed which allows searching by individual name.
Supreme Court of Queensland, Central District, Rockhampton: no files or indexes are held.
