OCR Text |
Show Fir it Divorce Court The first divorce court In England was Instituted In I85S. The court consisted con-sisted of three Judges. At the first sitting five marrluges were dissolved, and In the first year of the court's operation op-eration 38 divorces were grunted out of 288 petitions. From the time of the Reformation up to 1808 there had been but 817 divorce In England, granted by acts of parliament. Until trie passing of the divorce act In 1858 the theory In English law regarding dlvffce was the same aa that of the Roman.. Catholic church, although In practice this rule waa not strictly; adhered ad-hered to, and wealthy and lafluentlal persona, through parliament, secured freedom from galling tlea. The divorce act provided that the wronged husband hus-band could be released from his obligation obli-gation to an unfujthfui wife, but gave no such recourse to an Injured wife, unless the husband's offense In this direction was aggravated by other offenses. |