Mexborough and Swinton Times August 23, 1929
Kilnhurst Separation.
Husband at Morecambe.
Hannah Curwin, of 13, Thomas Street, Kilnhurst, applied at Rotherham West Riding Police Court on Monday for a separation order from her husband, Norman Duff Curwin, acetylene burner, 27, at present residing at Morecambe, and this was granted, the magistrates ordering the husband to pay £1 per week.
Mr. A. H. Jackson, solicitor, who appeared for the wife, said that application was being made on the grounds of desertion. The parties were married in 1927, and since that time there had been a great deal of unpleasantness, and the wife had been assaulted on frequent occasions by her husband.
The husband, unfortunately, suffered some years ago from concussion, and apparently there were times when he did not seem responsible for his actions. He had threatened to do his wife in, and also threatened to take his own life, and on one occasion Mr. Jackson said, he chased his wife out of the house with a knife.
The desertion took place on July 30th, 1929. She went back to her mother’s home. Since that time her husband had written to her, and in one letter he stated: “I can’t bear it, I had to write a note to let you know where I am. I am willing to face it out. If you had not left me, with the children, I should have been able to go to work and we should not have been in this position.”
Hannah J. Curwin said there were two children of the marriage, one aged 22 mouths and the other nine months. Her husband was an acetylene burner, and he had had a good job at Rotherham. He also had had a good position at Morecambe, where he had been working on the promenade. He had frequently threatened her. She bore out all the statements made by Mr. Jackson.
Mr, J. S. Colton Fox, the presiding magistrate, in making the order, said there would be 10s. a week for the wife and 5s. each for the two children. They hoped the husband and wife would be able to come together again as the order was not enough, but was all they could allow.