Author Topic: Maiden Name & Married Name  (Read 18967 times)

Offline Dundee

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #18 on: Wednesday 03 May 17 05:40 BST (UK) »
Resurrecting this old thread to add another question.  When a widow remarried pre civil registration was there any convention with the surname used in the marriage register?  Would she usually remarry with her maiden surname or would she be recorded with both surnames, or was it just random?

Debra  :)

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #19 on: Wednesday 03 May 17 08:16 BST (UK) »
Any I have found have been recorded in the pre-1855 parish registers by their maiden surname.

In passing, this thread reminds me of a practice that I find very unhelpful.

Suppose Jeanie Brown marries John Smith.

'Jeanie Brown or Smith' as used in Scotland is clear and unambiguous. It tells you instantly that this is a woman whose maiden surname is Brown and whose husband's surname is Smith.

However sometimes I come across 'Jeanie Brown Smith'. This is ambiguous because without further research I cannot tell whether this is Jeanie Brown, married to Mr Smith, or Jeanie, middle name Brown, surname Smith;  and I cannot tell whether Smith is her own maiden surname or her husband's surname, and if it is, what her maiden surname is.

I know that in some places it is customary for this Jeanie Brown to be generally known as Jeanie Brown Smith, but in the context of genealogy it is ambiguous and potentially confusing.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline ruthhelen

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #20 on: Wednesday 03 May 17 20:16 BST (UK) »
Any I have found have been recorded in the pre-1855 parish registers by their maiden surname.

Same here - I think because the tradition in Scotland is (still) for married women not to 'give up' their maiden names, most widows I've come across in my family revert to their maiden names when their husbands die, and are consequently married again as such.

Ruth
McArthur, Milne, Mitchell, Black, Robertson, Morrison, Slessor, Lawrence - Aberdeenshire/Banffshire. Muir, Waddell, Fraser, Orr, Cowden - Lanarkshire/Renfrewshire/Dunbartonshire. Dalziel, Dalzell, Gourley, Cromie, Crombie, Bell - Co Down. Haymon, Baker, Corke, Cooley, Ginger - Kent/London.

Offline libbyjones

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #21 on: Friday 25 August 17 11:36 BST (UK) »
Hi, I am a widow and have now included by deed poll my maiden name to my full name.  I just wondered if anyone knew whether it is ok to have my forenames and maiden name on my memorial headstone, and not my surname by marriage,   Any help most appreicated, Sheila


Offline Forfarian

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #22 on: Friday 25 August 17 12:13 BST (UK) »
Hi, I am a widow and have now included by deed poll my maiden name to my full name.  I just wondered if anyone knew whether it is ok to have my forenames and maiden name on my memorial headstone, and not my surname by marriage,   Any help most appreicated, Sheila

You can instruct your executor to put whatever name you like on your headstone. You can even do so formally by putting a clause in your will. I think you might have a problem if you wanted to put on your stone something that might be seen by some people as potentially offensive, but other than that you can put what you like on it.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Flattybasher9

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name
« Reply #23 on: Friday 25 August 17 12:51 BST (UK) »
"Memorials  and  inscriptions  will only  be  permitted  after  the  submission of  a  written  statement  and  drawing  of the proposed memorial or inscription to the   Authorised   Officer." 

The same term seems to be used throughout Scottish authorities.

Regards

Malky

Offline Munro84

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name (WIDOWS)
« Reply #24 on: Saturday 25 November 17 14:21 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,

What I am seeking clarification of is Scottish women reverting to using their maiden names specifically when they became widows.

I have a Widow Munro who appears twice receiving poor relief in parish kirk session records in 1783 and again in 1784, although in one of these three records she appears as Christian Munro.

Basically, how likely is it that Munro was her maiden name ? I mean I am aware of Scottish women retaining their maiden name but the fact that it's written as "Widow Munro" suggests that she was the widow of a man surnamed Munro.

Thanks.

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name (WIDOWS)
« Reply #25 on: Saturday 25 November 17 14:36 GMT (UK) »
Basically, how likely is it that Munro was her maiden name ?
I would say more likely than not.

Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Munro84

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Re: Maiden Name & Married Name (WIDOWS)
« Reply #26 on: Saturday 25 November 17 18:18 GMT (UK) »
Basically, how likely is it that Munro was her maiden name ?
I would say more likely than not.

Thanks for the reply, but just to be clear what I am getting at is, is it likely that you could get a woman recorded by her maiden and with the widow prefix as the first name ?