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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: NicVog on Tuesday 18 October 22 04:57 BST (UK)
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Hello. Specifically asking about Ireland in the 1890s.
When a married woman died and it was recorded in civil records, would they record her by her birth/maiden name? Or upon marrying would a woman be known only by her married name on official documents, including on her death certificate?
Thank you.
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I have seen both instances - Married name - James V James and James v Anderson. Although married it was common to retain own name.
Cheers
Jack Gee
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Ah,thank you, Jack! If I'm reading you right, regarding
"James V James and James v Anderson"
Are you saying it would include both names, like "married name, formerly 'maiden name'" or would a woman who had died be recorded simply by her birth name in her death record with no reference to her married name?
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Who gave the information?
Could she have been living separately from her husband and using her 'own' name, so that was what people knew her as?
I think it would be unusual for a married woman who died while still living with her husband/family to not have been recorded under his name.
Of course, there are always mistakes.
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Thanks, D1850! I was wondering particularly in the case of widows, but I guess you're right it depended on who was giving the information.
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Nic, in Ireland and Scotland at certain times the wife kept her own name. Using my above analogy - John James married Vera Anderson. There goes Vera Anderson wife of John James. Can you give us your scenario so we can see the text in which we are dealing?
cheers
Jack
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Depends on where the death was?
Here, on the Isle of Man, a married woman who dies is often recorded with both married and maiden names.
E.G. Smith als (alias) Jones.
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... Specifically asking about Ireland in the 1890s.
My experience is that the married name was the norm. I have encountered a couple of instances where a death was registered under a woman's maiden name and she was described as a spinster - which I knew to the contrary - in those few instances, she was widowed young, didn't remarry and died at a ripe age. But no, my experience is married name.
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I appreciate that you are enquiring about Ireland, but there were the "Ulster Scots". And in Scotland, a woman was known by her maiden name. She might change her marital status and her husband, but she kept her name.
Regards
Chas
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Hello. Specifically asking about Ireland in the 1890s.
When a married woman died and it was recorded in civil records, would they record her by her birth/maiden name? Or upon marrying would a woman be known only by her married name on official documents, including on her death certificate?
Thank you.
Ireland covers a large area with some places having different customs but in 40 years of working with thousands of death certificates probably less than five times did I come across married woman listed under maiden name and most of my research is concentrated in Ulster.
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Hey everyone, thanks for the responses. I've concluded I think I was looking at the wrong person, just a person with a similar fairly common name in an area.
But for future reference, am I right in assuming that a woman's married name was her legal name, even if she was widowed? Not just in death records, but generally speaking, in official paperwork, her (late) husband's name would be the one she'd be known by?
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There is no such thing as a "Legal" name ;)
A person can call themselves anything they like - as long as it is not for purposes of fraud or deception.
Think about divorced women - some use their married name; some revert to their maiden name.
My 1st wife still uses my surname.
My 2nd (ex!) wife never used my surname!
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When you say there is no such thing as a legal name - people can call themselves what they like.
How does this sit with driving passports, bank accounts etc.
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My passport, driver's lic., bank accounts, etc. are not under the name I was registered with at birth or the version (different middle name) I chose to use although I have a birth certificate and amended birth certificate for both.
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Thank -you Aghadowey, as they say you learn something new every day.
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When you say there is no such thing as a legal name - people can call themselves what they like.
How does this sit with driving passports, bank accounts etc.
How does a woman manage when she marries?
Or when she gets a divorce?
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I have a neighbour who trades, Monday to Friday, under one name, but on Sunday uses another. Neither one is the name that he is known by in the village.
Regards
Chas
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Aha, thank you, I actually wasn't aware of how women's names on passports and such work today. That is interesting, I know my own mother never changed her surname after her divorce. But, I meant more historically, if things were different back then regarding what name a woman used.