There are many different types of records people can come
across in the journey of tracing their family tree. Some people are only
interested in just doing the names and dates, while other people want more
information about the individuals such as what they did in their lives
especially through Marriage and death. There are areas in-between where people
become separated for various reasons either through death or even when they
divorce. Divorce papers are an excellent resource to use as it fills in the
gaps and provides you with valuable information about individuals that are
involved. I will point out the interesting aspects to the papers. I would not
call this a skeleton or a scandal of any sort unless you were caught in the
loop within the time period. Divorce in New Zealand was first introduced into
legislation in 1867, England and Wales had been in 1857 with the Australian
states following. The last state, New South Wales only introduced legislation
in 1873. There are many changes to legislation between 1867 and the 1950s so I
would not list them. A thesis explaining the changes is attached as a source,
which would be interesting reading.
Dissolving a marriage or civil union is the legal
terminology for divorce. Every country has a different way of conducting a
divorce and there has been opposition towards it. In New Zealand divorce became
common place late within the 19th Century. For New Zealand the most
common reason for divorce was desertion, which apparently occurred in New
Zealand more often than other countries.
Several years ago while in the New Zealand National
Archives, I came across the divorce records for Norris Trevor Douglas
Gabolinscy to his wife Rona Esma Ellen Gabolinscy. It was an accidental find
and I am still surprised that I was able to get access to the records as I have
seen similar records in regards to my Grandparents Peggy Williams and Ronald
Gabolinscy ( I only met Ron once at my uncle’s wedding, but I was told to keep
away due to his past) as I cannot access the records for around 100 years
unless I am the one where the records name.
The divorce was filed for in September 1948 when both Rona
and Norris had been married since 1944 with three children. The divorce itself
is actually interesting as it had been pushed forward by Rona Gabolinscy
herself after finding Norris had been unfaithful. He had committed adultery
with a woman who would become his second wife, Ruth Oliver. I had always been
under the impression that it had to be the man to begin the divorce proceedings
during this time period, but it is not to be.
Some interesting information within this divorce that I
don’t know if it is common as it:
Lists the reason for the divorce, which was adultery
The children involved with their birthdates, which are
· 1. Gordon Trevor Douglas Gabolinscy born 8th
September 1943
· 2. John Robert Hartley Gabolinscy born 18th
August 1944
· 3. Kay Francis Gabolinscy born 27th
September 1945
Letter to Norris Gabolinscy alerting him to the dissolution
of Marriage
Marriage certificate of Norris and Rona in 1944
Letters to Ruth Oliver of Mairangi Bay
Correspondence to say the people had received and signed the
letters
The letters would have helped as Norris and Ruth were living
together at the time.
The marriage was dissolved on the 7th of March
1949 and that one of the children, John Robert Hartley Gabolinscy who had been
kept by Rona herself was to be paid one pound per week for maintenance and support
until John was 16 years old. The other two children Gordon Trevor Douglas and
Kay Francis Gabolinscy had been placed into adoption under Part III of the
Infants Act 1908. The only real information I have on the two siblings is they
ended up with other family members within the Gabolinscy family. It would be
interesting to see what records there are for them being transferred to an
uncle and aunt.
It is interesting that not long after the finality of the
divorce between Norris and Rona that there was another marriage. On the 9th
of March 1949 within the Auckland Registry office, Norris Gabolinscy and Ruth
Oliver married. Rona actually remarried in the same year, but I do not have the
marriage certificate as of yet to see when the date was. She married Clive
Neely McNaughton in 1949, although in 1948 / 1949 Clive was in the process of
divorcing his own wife, Thelma Ada according to the National Archives of New
Zealand. This adds to the story and would be an interesting development to see
what happened there. Stories like this would make the family tree a very
complex issue.
Links / sources
Te Ara – Divorce and
separation
Divorce record
between Rona and Norris Gabolinscy
Gabolinscy, Rona Esma Ellen v Gabolinscy, Norris Trevor
Douglas (R22643011)
Infants Act 1908, No.
86
Thesis: Unloosening the Marriage bond Divorce in New
Zealand
Norris and Rona had 4 children, Edward, Jack, Gordon and Kay
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