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Divorce is not a twentieth century phenomenon. Early colonists established less stringent divorce laws than those practiced in England, which made it easier to obtain a divorce. |
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The civil division responsible for divorce varied from place to place in colonial America. Courts, governors or their councils, and ecclesiastical authorities became the agents able to grant a divorce. |
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As a court action, divorce proceedings can be tracked in records similar to those created by any civil court. |
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A divorce docket serves as a road map or index to the proceedings. It lists the type of action, the date it occurred, and directs interested parties to the book and page number where entries pertaining to the case have been recorded. |
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Divorce docket entries can be obtained by writing to the clerk of the court having jurisdiction over the proceedings. A list of the courts having jurisdiction over divorce in each state appears under Divorce Jurisidictions in this tutorial. |
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The LDS Family History Library's collection of early divorce records can be found among published and microfilmed court records. You can use both types of records at the Main Library and microfilmed records at its Family History Centers. The genealogy collections of private, local, state, and university libraries throughout the country also may include early divorce records from selected areas. |
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