I can remember these notices appearing in the News of the world in the 1950's and as a youngster who was not supposed to read said newspaper often wondered what they were all about. Regards Patrick Williams Bruton Somerset We had in our family a Thomas SHEPHERDSON who had married an Ursula SHEPHERDSON, a cousin of his. We knew that there was a child baptised and buried shortly after that. We also knew that when Thomas died, he left a will and no wife was mentioned. So did she die or what happened to her? Well, we found a marriage of an Ursula SHEPHERDSON a few years later to someone else. Could that have been her? We always thought it was likely her, with such an uncommon first and last name. But then trolling thru the newspapers came across this gem: Saturday April 30, 1877Yorkshire In The Last CenturyOld History Retold July 22"Whereas Urslay Shepherdson, wife of Thomas Shepherdson, of Acklam, hath eloped from her said husband, This is therefore to caution the public against harbouring or giving any credit to the said Urslay Shepherdson, as her said husband will not pay any debts she may contract. Witness my hand this 22nd day of July, 1777. Thomas Shepherdson" This was originally posted in the newspaper in 1777 but a reflection on old history reprinted this in 1877. So by chance of it being retold 100 years later, we found our answer. She left Thomas for another man. Janet I have come across in a newspaper of 1881 a notice "Thomas Foster, farmer of Tholthorpe, will not be responsible for the debts of his wife, Dorothy, however caused, after this date". The family subsequently broke up. Was this regarded as a quasi legal document and was the publication of such a notice usually regarded as a de facto divorce ? Was the notice posted because the wife had usually run up debts or because she had left with another man? Or was the notice put in the papers to announce that husband and wife had split up ? Margaret