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Divorce at that time was difficult to get, especially for a woman, who had to prove cruelty, or a combination of other faults, such as abandonment and adultery. It was prohibitively expensive, and came with a huge social taboo.

Veronica had been living separately from her husband since at least 1901, but her 1902 attempt was unsuccessful. However, in 1910 she tried again.

The details of her treatment are recorded meticulously in the petition, and it's not an easy read. It includes physical blows, insults and threats, keeping her without proper food or clothing (while pregnant and after the birth of her child), and preventing her access to money. He was also openly having an affair.

Although couched in Edwardian language ('low-spirited'; 'her weak and unhappy condition'), Veronica was clearly suffering depression.

At the end of 1899, eighteen months before she appears in Ford, she took her child and left him.

The 1910 petition was, thankfully, successful, and Veronica was granted not only a divorce but custody of their son. Thomas Badgery was ordered to pay expenses and upkeep. An amazing result pre-WW1.

By the time I got to this point in my research, I was invested in this woman. But finding out anything about her pre-marriage was more of a challenge. There was no trace of a birth record. No record of her 'gentleman' father. So who was she?

#WomensHistory #DivorceHistory #WomensStories