Abbreviation on death registration entry

[Macharskin]

A SP download of a 1871 Orkney death registration has written in parenthesis under the name of the deceased, Margaret Symison, Widow of William Symison Sailor M.S. What does the M.S. mean - that's assuming I read it correctly? It looks very like the letters M.S. used to prefix the Maiden Surname in the names of parents column.

The next entry (for a William Wylie) seems to have Sailor M.S as well.

Regards, M.

[MonicaL]

Merchant Service rather than Royal Navy perhaps?

Monica

[sancti]

Along the same lines as Monica, Merchant Shipping

[Lodger]

Without a doubt it's Merchant Service.

[Macharskin]

Thank you. Seems obvious now! 

Kind regards, M.

[jmgrgr]

If MS appears only for females, it means Maiden Surname, that is, the mother's maiden name.
- in 1855 the death Registration form had a column for Parents Name, Rank, Profession or Occupation. The mother's married name was given on one line. On the next line was Maiden Name followed by the mother's original surname.
- after 1860  the parents column was headed Name, Rank Profession or Occupation of Father and Name and Maiden Surname of Mother. The registar entered the mother's married name on one line and then MS Surname on the next.

e.g. the entry for a child of John Smith and Mary Brown would be in the form:
- John Smith,
 Occupation
- Mary Smith,
 MS Brown
 

[Macharskin]

Hi jmgrgr,

The 1871 Death registration entry I have says in the column headed Name and Surname & Rank or Profession and whether Single, Married, or Widowed: Margaret Symison (Widow of William Symison, Seaman M.S.), and in the column headed Name, Surname & Rank or Profession of Father and Name, and Maiden Surname of Mother it reads William Taylor, Farmer (dec'd) Isabella Taylor, M.S. Dass (dec'd).

Accordingly I had presumed that the M.S. appended to Sailor had a different connotation; the deceased's maiden surname, Dass, appeared in the assigned column. 

Regards, M.

[MonicaL]

Hi M

That then fits with this christening entry:

MARGARET TAYLOR     Birth: 15 AUG 1804/ Christening: 03 SEP 1804 South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Parents:WILLIAM TAYLOR and ISOBELLA DASS    

Five more christening entries show on IGI for these parents 

The initials MS in connection to Margaret's husband certainly relates to his occupation in the Merchant Service.

Monica