The Story of Divorce

A Vile and Incestuous Intercourse

The story of Louisa Turton's marriage, and the circumstances which led to her petitioning Parliament for a divorce, becoming the second woman to be successful in her petition for a Parliamentary divorce.

Guilty of so Atrocious a Crime

This is the story of the first Parliamentary divorce granted to a woman, Mrs Jane Addison in 1801. TW: Listeners should note that a 1696 pamphlet is quoted during this episode in which married women are equated with enslaved "negroes". This a direct quote from the pamphlet, reflecting the language of the time.

Without Shame or Modesty

The story of the Earl of Macclesfield, who obtained the second Parliamentary divorce in England; before exploring the story of the Duke of Norfolk who, despite being a man 'without shame or modesty' who carried on his own notorious affair, secured the third divorce in England.

An Impudent, Infamous, and Lascivious Way

Concluding the story of the first divorce in England, that of Lord Roos from Lady Anne Manners. In this episode, we hear of how the parliamentary debates were observed by Charles II, as he considered the possibility of his own divorce.

The Curious Case of Adulterine Bastardy

The story of the first divorce in England. After the Archbishop of Canterbury made divorce almost impossible in 1601, though some, including the poet John Milton, would speak out about the inability to divorce and bring a marriage to an end, it would take decades before one man would attempt to attain a divorce from his adulterous wife. This man was Lord Roos, who was heir to the earldom of Rutland.