It is interesting to know how and for what reason divorces occurred at different times. Marriage and its acquisition and breakup procedure are very interesting for genealogy, at least from the point of view of documents that remained after the wedding in the 19th century and earlier.
But what about divorce, how did our ancestors get divorced for at least three centuries? From XVI to XVIII, adjustable letters forbidden by the synod and its predecessors were practiced among all classes. But people continued to write them to each other, as some obligations not to have claims, and priests continued to sign them.
The divorce cases recorded the process of registering a divorce, according to all the rules, show that the church opposed divorce, and most often the most beloved way of Russian democracy – delay.
The main legal document on the divorce proceedings was the helm book – a collection of Greek Catholic laws, decrees of cathedrals, and opinions of authoritative figures of the Byzantine church. If you want in it, you can find the rationale for any decisions in the flesh to the exact opposite. This document is very confusing apparently because of its centuries-old history and not only.
What reasons could lead to a divorce
The main reason for the divorce was adultery of the spouse. The husband could divorce his wife because of her infidelity, and the wife in a similar situation did not have the right to do so. But she could leave her husband, who would accuse her of violating marital fidelity and could not prove it.
Or she could leave her husband, who provokes her into treason, and also accuse him of profligacy before marriage. It was also possible to take advantage of the reason, the husband’s inability to marry. The beatings were not a reason for divorce.
Also, a husband could divorce his wife if she drank with other men without his permission, washed with them in a bathhouse and slept in a strange house, except for her parents’ house.
In modern times, some divorce decisions look strange and comical. For example, in the event of escaping from marriage and subsequent life with another man (spouse) for thirty years, an escaped wife could be forced to return to her husband if the truth about her first marriage is discovered.
Other reasons for divorce, such as leprosy, were obvious, but not other diseases; planning for the murder of a spouse and tonsure in monasticism.
These are interesting and very important facts about divorces in the past. A lot of things have changed and a lot of things in the past can be looked at with a smile, but something remains and stretches from the past to this day.
Good luck in finding.
