Did married women in 18th/19th century Ireland go by their maiden name?

[Bhoy]

What were the names of the couple?

[meowkat]

Hi Bhoy,

They were called Michael McKune and Ann McChrystal. According to their Scottish records they were both born in Ireland and married in the "Parish of Drunmore, Co Tyrone, Ireland" on 18th May 1855. Their eldest daughter was also born in Tyrone, but where exactly I haven't been able to find out. Her name was Mary Ann McKune and she was born about 1856. Judging by the dates and locations of their children's births, they would have moved to Scotland sometime between 1856 and 1858. All their children were married in Roman Catholic churches, so it's likely they were.

It is very common for Irish surnames to be mispelt on Scottish records. On one census record, Micheal's surname is written as McEwan. I also have an Irish friend whose surname is McKeown and it is pronounced the same.  Ann's maiden name I've seen written as McChrystal, McChristal, Cristal, Chrystal...

Michael's parents were Michael McKune and Mary McLachlan (there's another surname that's spelt 101 ways!) and he was born about 1834. Ann's parents were called William McChrystal and Ellen Gillogy and she was born about 1831. It's records for a woman named Ellen Gillogy around 1856-1860 that I've found.

[Skoosh]

They certainly do in Scotland, I know folk in Lanarkshire who are introduced at funerals etc', as Mary Sullivan's boy & Jean Walker's man. These guys are in their fifties.

Skoosh.

[breenbyrne]

Even in the 20th Century this was still going on in parts of north Co Kerry.  My maternal great grandmother was Kate Hegarty and she married into the Griffins but was always known locally by her maiden name.  Her son, John Griffin's wife was always known as Jule Stack.

[myluck!]

I have several instances where the maiden name continued in use especially where a woman would have become the same name as some other in the family; so as not to add another of the name they remained known as their maiden name; however nearly always on formal documents the actual married name was used

A relatively recent occurance is where my uncle married, on the same day as his two brothers, in the 1940s; all three wives were named Mary and remained known by their maiden names until the present day (some are now deceased); the fourth brother also married a Mary!!!

[LalaChoobottom]

It's interesting you asked this. I've found this post because I have potential ancestors in the irish census. They are
Anne Smith (Head)
Anne Smith (Daughter)
Owen Henry (Son-in-law)
Anne Henry (Granddaughter, aged 1)
Christiane Smith (daughter)

I also have a birth cert saying Anne and Owen Henry were parents of a frederick (an ancestor, born after Anne Henry).

So it looks like Anne Smith junior and Owen Henry were parents of Anne Henry, but then why does Anne Smith junior not have the surname of her husband and daughter?