Divorce records are often a valuable source of information for researchers, as they can provide sometimes difficult to find information like a couple's date of marriage, the names of children, and a woman's maiden name. They also allow a fascinating insight into the values and mores surrounding marriage at the time.
Connecticut began granting divorces in the mid-17th century, although only very, very sparingly at first. Puritan courts were loathe to undo what they saw as the sacred covenant of marriage, and would only grant a divorce in clear cases of adultery or abandonment. As time went on, laws concerning divorce became much less stringent, and many more were granted by the courts.
In the beginning only the General Assembly could grant a divorce. However, as the court system developed in the early 18th century, this became mainly the purview of the superior courts (although the General Assembly continued to grant divorces until the early 20th century). Divorces today are still handled by the superior court system.
This index is a combination of several different indexes created by Connecticut State Library staff over a period of many years, and contains over 40,000 entries. It includes divorce records for the following counties and dates:
It also includes divorces granted by the General Assembly for 1655-1915.
*Divorce records for Litchfield, New London, and Windham Counties that fall in years not included in this list can be found in two books compiled by Barbara B. Ferris and Grace Louise Knox in the 1980s, located in the History & Genealogy reading room:
Each entry in this list has a location of either a record or a file. Records are a brief summary of the case and the court's verdict that can be found in court record books. Files may have more information, such as the original divorce petition, statements from the litigants and witnesses, costs, and other material.
To request a digital of physical copy of a record or file, please contact the staff of the History & Genealogy Unit by telephone (860) 757-6580 or email. There may be a small fee, depending on the size of the order and whether you would like a digital or physical copy. When requesting a copy of a record or file, please include the information from the relevant entry in the index. You are also more than welcome to visit the Connecticut State Library to see these materials for yourself!
Note: Several volumes have extra, non-numbered pages at the end; these are denoted by a typographical mark and the word “misc.”
*The February, 1769 term of the Superior Court in Fairfield is filed in a folder in the state archives RG 003, Superior Court Fairfield County Records/Dockets, Box 51.
**Volume 19 contains miscellaneous papers at the end of the numbered pages. These papers are mostly in chronological order, and include court files, invoices, and the records of a few Superior Court terms.
†Volume 21 contains miscellaneous papers at the end of the numbered pages. These papers are mostly in chronological order, and include court files and records for certain Superior Court terms.
††Volume 22 contains miscellaneous papers at the end of the numbered pages. These papers are mostly in chronological order, and include court files and records for certain Superior Court terms.
‡ Volume 28 contains miscellaneous papers at the end of the numbered pages. Some of these are a continuation of the August, 1793 session of the court at Litchfield.
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