Mid North Coast Pioneers - Newcastle to Lismore and beyond

Richard Farmer has written the following summary:

"Mary Elizabeth Kate filed a petition for divorce on 19 January 1884. Following her marriage to John Stephen, they lived in Pimlico, Hendon and Brixton. During part of this time, they lived at 69 Eccleston Square Mews, Pimlico. [Census returns show that Mary Elizabeth’s parents were living at this address in 1871 and 1881.] The petition lists two children, Jessie Sarah, born 23 August 1878, and Janet Daisy, born 3 November 1880. The petition claims that John Stephen deserted Mary Elizabeth in July 1880 and thereafter cohabited with “a woman who passed as Mrs Farmer” at Epsom and East Moulsey. [The Mrs Farmer referred to is very likely Edith, who appears in the 1881 census returns as John Stephen’s wife; and there is, in fact, no evidence that they were married.] As part of her petition, Mary Elizabeth asks for a dissolution of the marriage, custody of the children and alimony payments. At the time of the petition, she was living in Dunstans Road, Honor Oak in Surrey. John Stephen was living at 3 Great James Street, Bedford Row in London, and working as a journalist.

On 9 August 1884, John Stephen was found guilty of adultery but not of desertion. No reason for this decision is given in the documentation. John Stephen did not appear in court. On 20 January 1885, he was ordered to pay costs of £65 19 shillings 4 pence and on 12 May 1885, was ordered to pay alimony at the rate of £1 per week, backdated to 25 April.

On 14 February 1887, Mary Elizabeth filed a supplementary petition, alleging that John Stephen had deserted her for a period of two years prior to submission of the second petition. This was accepted by the court, and a decree nisi was granted on 30 March 1887. Mary Elizabeth was given custody of the children. On 1 November 1887, a decree absolute was issued. [This was just 9 days before his marriage to Alice Amelia Caswell.]

On 4 June 1891, John Stephen was ordered to pay further costs of £30 2 shillings.

[National Archives J77/312/9299]"

Richard Farmer has written the following summary:

"Alice Amelia filed a petition for divorce on 8 May 1894. Following her marriage to John Stephen, they had lived in Haringey in London and in Croydon. The petition lists two children, Ralph Ashley, born 18 July 1889, and Harry Bernard, born 16 October 1892. [A third child, Harold, born in 1888, is not mentioned, but does appear in the 1901 census returns; perhaps his date of birth would have shown that conception had taken place prior to marriage.] The petition claims that, between 1892 and 1894, John Stephen was violent towards Alice Amelia, neglected her and the children and committed adultery on numerous occasions with Rose Fordham [John Stephen’s third wife]. As part of her petition, Alice Amelia asks for a dissolution of the marriage, custody of the children and alimony payments. At the time of the petition, she was living at 47 Acacia Road, Sydenham in Kent.

On 28 January 1895, John Stephen was found guilty of adultery and cruelty. He was in court but did not contest the findings. A decree nisi was granted and Alice Amelia given custody of the children. John Stephen was ordered to pay costs. A decree absolute was issued on 20 April 1896. [This was just six weeks before his marriage to Rose Georgina Fordham.]

[National Archives J77/536/16381]"

Richard Farmer has written the following summary:

"A number of documents appear to be missing from the divorce records, including Rose Georgina’s original petition and any response that John Stephen may have made, as well as certificates of decree nisi and decree absolute. The main issues here are an allegation of desertion and the payment of alimony.

An affidavit presented on behalf of Rose Georgina states that she was receiving payments of 30 shillings per week but these have lapsed. Rose Georgina and John Stephen have not lived together for two years and the “last cohabitation” took place the previous August. At the time of the affidavit, Rose Georgina was living at 171 Wardour Street, London. The main body of the affidavit is undated. [It would very likely have been made between February and May 1905.] A note appended to the affidavit, dated 16 May, states that a separation order had previously been made in February 1900 but Rose Georgina returned to John Stephen the following October. [Census returns show that they were still living together in 1901.] She had to go to St Pancras Workhouse in December 1904.

John Stephen wrote an affidavit on 24 April 1905, perhaps in response to Rose Georgina’s. John Stephen claims that he is very short of money as a result of, variously, a depression in the publishing trade, the bankruptcy of a literary agent, and the death of a colleague. He argues that he cannot pay Rose Georgina more than 15 shillings per week. At the time, he was living at 18 Bury Street, London.

John Stephen was summoned to appear at a Petty Sessional Court on 16 May 1905 to answer a charge of desertion and was found guilty. The magistrate issued a further separation order. John Stephen was ordered to pay four shillings in costs and provide Rose Georgina with 25 shillings per week.

On 24 May 1905, John Stephen filed a notice of appeal, arguing that 25 shillings per week was “excessive and not reasonable having regard to the means of the said Defendant”. The appeal was allowed at a divisional court, and the weekly payment reduced to 15 shillings.

According to Court Minutes, a decree absolute was issued on 6 June 1905.

[National Archives J77/848/5793]"