13. Willmott Bury and John Bury’s separation was like something from a soap opera, but with added historical significance
Getting a divorce in the Middle Ages was no easy matter, especially if you were a woman. Which is what made Willmott Bury’s petition for a separation from her husband, John, way back in 1561 all the more remarkable. She went to the local court in the county of Devon to request an annulment. According to the aggrieved wife, her husband was physically incapable of consummating the marriage. She argued she was therefore entitled to an annulment. The court had midwives examine Mrs Bury. They confirmed she was indeed a virgin.
The court also ruled that physicians examine Mr Bury. And, again, they concluded that his wife was correct. A kick from a horse whilst still a boy had indeed rendered him incapable of sex. In a landmark case in English law, the marriage was dissolved. But then there was a twist. John married again, and had a son! The law was changed again to stipulate that if an impotent ex-husband ‘found’ his potency in another union, any past annulment would be ruled invalid.