In an email dated Sunday, February 20, 2005 7:03, Colin Mills <MILLSC64@aol.com> writes: > Private acts of parliament can also be used, but the last one > was passed in 1907 and would likewise cost a Very Large Sum. Not connected with change of name, but concerns private Acts of Parliament. There is the story of the Town Clerk from the West Country (Exeter?) who wanted a divorce but couldn't afford the special Act of Parliament required in those days. As the Act for the town's (city's?) Charter was about to be debated in Parliament he inserted the clause similar to 'and the Town Clerk is hereby granted a divorce'. Either the MPs didn't notice it or didn't understand it, but the Act went through with this clause unamended and the Town Clerk got his way. It couldn't happen these days . . . . could it? DaveD