DIVORCES GRANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 15

DIVORCES GRANTED.

UNDEFENDED PETITIONS. MARRIED ON ENGLISH FARM. WIFE NOT TO BE FOUND. Several divorce petitions were granted by Mr. Justice Herdnian in the Supreme Court yesterday. Married in England in September, 1913, when he was working as a boy on a farm and his wife was employed as a domestic on the same farm, Walter Taverner, sought dissolution. of the marriage. Petitioner said ho had had no knowledge of tho whereabouts of his wife, Alice Maude C. Taverner, since 1918. After their marriage Taverner continued to work on the farm ; and his wife took a room at Exeter, six miles awsy. He never took up house with his wife, and never found out anything about her friends or relations. He saw her weekly on sale days. Not long after the marriage his employer died, and petitioner was out of employment. Petitioner said it was arranged that he should come to New Zealand, and his wife was to follow him. He came out in December, 1913. Later he heard from his wife that a son had been born. She gave an address, but ultimately lost all trace of her. Before that he had arranged to pay his wife's passage money to New Zealand, but she never replied, and after waiting three years he recovered the passage money he had deposited. Last March he had a letter from his wife's brother suggesting divorce. ! A decree nisi was issued. An unusual circumstance about the divorce petition of Matthew Patterson was that the parties had lived apart in Auckland for 37 years without any action being taken. Petitioner said he married the respondent, Martha Patterson, at Auckland, in June, 1892. They lived at Kingsland, and two children were born. In 1895 Mrs. Patterson left home and in 1897 he found that she was living with the co-respondent, Josiah Bowden. Evidence was given by a nephow of the petitioner and by a private inquiry agent that respondent and co-respondent had been living as man and wife for many years. They had three grown-up sons. Both respondent and co-respondent admitted this. His Honor granted a decree nisi. Evidence that a separation order had been in existence since July, 1928, was given by Doris Muriel Webley, who sought divorce from Leslie George Webley. She stated they were married in January, 1925, and there was one child. A decree nisi was issued, and the interim custody of the child was given to petitioner. On the ground of separation for more than three years, Sarah Ann Fleming was granted a decree nisi against Robert John Fleming. The parties were married in August, 1919.