The story of William Argyle's petition for a divorce

What a twist when I read this first petition document in the divorce file I have just received from the United Kingdom National Archives.

In the November of 1902, when William Argyle, my great-grandfather was petitioning for a divorce, he was in Pretoria on active service with the 92 Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery!

This is so interesting as I have been wondering when, how and why he ended up in South Africa and what caused him to leave the Isle of Wight.

I have mapped the William and Kathleen timeline from all the documents and research I have done:

• William born in 1869 on the Isle of Wight, to John  and Anne Argyle (nee Sibbick).
• Kathleen born in 1878, to Frank and Jane Guster, from Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.
• They have a registry marriage on the 25 September 1897.
• They lived at Church Place for about a year and at No 2, Chartree Villas, for eleven months, both places in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.
• Their first child, a daughter called Edith, was born in 1898, baptised on the 13 May and died on the 15th August 1898.
• Nellie Winifred, my Nan, was born on the 29 May, 1899.
• William is ordered to leave the Isle of Wight on the 13 November 1899 for active service in South Africa.
• He is 30 years old in 1899.
• Little Nellie is not even 6 months old when he leaves.
• The 1901 Census record has Kathleen and Nellie with her parents at 16 Church Street in Christchurch.
• William remains in active service in South Africa and does not know when he shall be able to return to England.
• Kathleen, on the 12 April 1902, starts her affair with Arthur Merchant.
• Kathleen and Arthur reside at 13 Albert Street in Ryde, Isle of Wight.
• William's younger brother, Ernest, writes to William and informs him of the facts about Kathleen and Arthur.
• William first hears about his wife's adultery in this letter from Ernest on about the 10th May 1902.
• William acts on the information and instructs his brother to take proceedings on his behalf to abstain a divorce against his wife.

• The petition is filed on the 12 December 1902 by Turner and Co, Solicitors at 61 Carey Street, Lincoln's Inn, WC. Lincoln's Inn is a fascinating historical set of buildings in London. Worth a visit I think.
• In the meantime from Pretoria, William organises his documents under the signature of JHL Findlay who is a Justice of the Peace for the District of Pretoria in the Colony of the Transvaal. 
• The documents have both his signature and initials on them, William has a good handwriting, open and clear but certainly with a lesser flourish than the esteemed Findlay.
• He lays out his case for his marriage to Kathleen to be dissolved.
• William also requests that he have the custody of the child Nellie.
• Findlay also requests that the co-respondent, who is Arthur Merchant, may be condemned in the costs of these proceedings.
• Also that the petitioner may have further and other relief as may seem fit.
• On the 26th may 1903, the Decree Nisi - Jury, noting that the respondent and the co-respondent did not appear  and did not defend the suit, pronounced that the petitioner had sufficiently proved the contents of his petition. 
• The document confirms the 50 pound claim and more importantly gives William custody of Nellie.
• On the 7th December 1903 the Decree Absolute was brought before Sir John Gorell Barnes, a Juctice of the High Court, Strand in the County of Middlesex, and the marriage was declared dissolved.

An artefact that Bert has made by William Argyle

Goodness me, I suppose William then sends for Nellie and at some point he decides to remain in South Africa. 

All I have of William Argyle is the odd black and white photo. When I met Bert Cornell, Mom's cousin, he showed me this artefact that his grandfather William had made. Looking at it now, it makes a bit more sense given William's military history.

So here I am, generations later looking at William and Kathleen's story and trying to understand how it must have impacted my Nan. I assume she never saw her mother again and had no communication with her either. 

William does remarry one Fanny Murray, has three more daughters but he dies in 1919 at the age of 50.

I feel the need to breathe deeply and put this story aside.

Census data showing William's younger brother is Ernest.