David Stevenson Janet Stevenson

[Thermo]

Hi

I am investigating my family tree and trying to find the surname of Janet.  I have a copy of the register of marriages for 29/09/1850. All the entries on the page state husbands surname and wife's maiden name apart from David Stevenson and Janet Stevenson.  So my question is this, was it legally binding to state maiden name or is this just a mistake.  I know that there are a lot of Stevenson's resident in St Ninian's Stirlingshire so she could be a cousin or unrelated.  David was the second son of John Stevenson and Jane Barry and was born abt 1827.

Any help would be appreciated

David

[CaroleW]

What maiden name is shown on the births of their children?  Her maiden name could also have been Stevenson

If she died after 1855 her maiden name and parents names will be on her death cert

It will also be on the marriage certs of their children

[Forfarian]

All the entries on the page state husbands surname and wife's maiden name apart from David Stevenson and Janet Stevenson. 

The simple answer is that Stevenson was her maiden name as well as her married name. In Scotland, a woman does not legally change her surname on marriage, which is why you get the mother's maiden surname in many pre-1855 baptism records, and why all statutory records list the mother's maiden name as well as any married names.

The IGI at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/igi lists four children of David Stevenson and Janet (maiden surname) Stevenson, all born in St Ninians.
Jane, 21 November 1856
Janet, 23 February 1859
Mary, 20 February 1860
Robert, 27 January 1862

If you have the marriage record, I assume that you are familiar with Scotland's People. If I were you I would look for the 1861 and 1871 census records for the family. I have not found them in the northern part of Scotland (which includes Stirlingshire) in the LDS' CD-ROM transcription, but someone else may have access to some other transcription that might help. This should narrow the search for Janet's (and David's) death certificates.

There is, in the above 1881 transcription, a widowed Janet Stevenson, aged 53 (so born 1827/8) in Muiralehouse, St Ninians, with unmarried sister Margaret Stevenson, 43, and son Thomas, 26.

[Thermo]

Hi

I am only just starting investigating this part of the family. My line comes through the youngest son of  John and Jane Stevenson, Peter who was born 1837. I only have the marriage entry for 29/09/1850 and the 1861 Census for David. I'm glad that Janet's surname is probably correct as this gives some chance of identifying her family, albeit there may be several Janet Stevenson's in the area. If there is anyone out there who has already traced this line and has info they could pass on I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in anticipation

David

[Forfarian]

My line comes through the youngest son of  John and Jane Stevenson, Peter who was born 1837.

I take it that you mean John Stevenson and Jane Barry?

I only have the marriage entry for 29/09/1850 and the 1861 Census for David.

Do you mean that Janet is not with David and their children in the 1861 census?

[Thermo]

Yes David's parents were John Stevenson and Jane Barry. Janet does appear in 1861 Census. Can't seem to find them in 1871 Census or a Death Certificate for David.

David

[Forfarian]

Janet does appear in 1861 Census.

So you know her age per census, and where she was born. So you can use that age to get a rough date of birth, then use that to look for her death certificate.

[Thermo]

Age for Janet is 33 giving birth around 1828. Have searched Scotlands People For Birth for Janet Stevenson 1827 - 29 giving 15 entries none originating in Stirling (1 in Banff the rest Glasgow or borders).

David

[Forfarian]

Age for Janet is 33 giving birth around 1828.

Yes. The census was taken around the end of March or beginning of April, about a quarter of the way through the calendar year. Therefore only about a quarter of people had had a birthday in census year, so they would be a year older by the end of the year. So it's a three to one chance that Janet was born in 1827 rather that 1828.

That matches the age of the widowed Janet Stevenson living with her unmarried sister Margaret Stevenson in 1881.

There is one 12-year-old Janet Stevenson in the 1841 census at Muir of Bannockburn, with parents Robert Stevenson and Fanny. There is a two-year-old daughter Margaret. In 1851 the same family is still at Muir of Bannockburn, Janet aged 22 and Margaret 14. You can see the full transcriptions at http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Can you find Robert and/or Fanny in 1861? If so, there will be death certificates which should give you the names of their parents.