Surname question: why a baby maintain birth surname even though mother married

[lmfamilyresearch]

Good morning,

I'm hoping that some light can be shed on a question of mine.  I have an indirect ancestor James McMurchy (b. 1831 in Southend (or Campbeltown) Argyll, Scotland) to his mother Margaret McShenoig who was not married to his father (Donald McMurchy).  In an obituary for James, it said he moved with his parents to Canada at aged 2 (in 1833).  Now, I know that James' father Donald McMurchy didn't move because he went on to marry and have other children in Southend after 1832 and he died in Southend in 1836.  So, Margaret McShenoig obviously married (or partnered) with someone else and moved to Canada.  James' obituary also indicated that he moved with his parents to the USA at age 16 and that he has a sister in Joliet, Illinois (no name was given).  So, how is it possible that James went by his surname (birth surname) for all the records that I can find in the USA (I can't find any records in Canada)?  James apparently stayed with his mother but never seemed to go by his stepfather's surname even though he would have been a baby when the stepfather came into his life.

Thanks.

[aghadowey]

I have an indirect ancestor James McMurchy (b. 1831 in Southend (or Campbeltown) Argyll, Scotland) to his mother Margaret McShenoig who was not married to his father (Donald McMurchy).  In an obituary for James, it said he moved with his parents to Canada at aged 2 (in 1833).  Now, I know that James' father Donald McMurchy didn't move because he went on to marry and have other children in Southend after 1832 and he died in Southend in 1836.  So, Margaret McShenoig obviously married (or partnered) with someone else and moved to Canada.  James' obituary also indicated that he moved with his parents to the USA at age 16 and that he has a sister in Joliet, Illinois (no name was given).  So, how is it possible that James went by his surname (birth surname) for all the records that I can find in the USA (I can't find any records in Canada)?  James apparently stayed with his mother but never seemed to go by his stepfather's surname even though he would have been a baby when the stepfather came into his life.

The only mention of possible stepfather/mother's partner in your post is from James' obituary where it mentioned he came to Canada with his parents. It's not uncommon for their to be errors in obituaries and if James was 16 when he arrived in Canada he was even old enough to come on his own.
Have you found any sign of James' mother in Canada or U.S.?

[Marmalady]

A child does not have to take his step-father's name, no matter how young he was when the step-father entered his life.

Have you traced his mother's marriage? Have you traced his entry to Canada and who he travelled with ? His mother  may well not have met & married his step-father until much later in his life than the obituary suggests

[lmfamilyresearch]

Unfortunately I can't find anything on his mother.  The only reason I know his mother's name is because it's on his birth entry in the Old Parish Records.  I don't even know if he actually stayed with his birth mother or if he was raised by another family.  I've often wondered if it was possible for him to have been given to another family to raise, maybe one of his father's siblings/cousins/aunts...?

I have no clue who his birth mother married, nor can I trace their entry into Canada.  His mother Margaret McShenoig isn't in the Dictionary of Scottish Immigrants (to Canada Pre-Confederation), neither is James.  I can only find one marriage entry for a Margaret McShenoig on Scotland's People but that marriage takes place in 1828 (before James birth) so the timing of things just seems very off.  I just can't see Margaret getting married in 1828, having an affair and resulting in a boy in 1831 and her husband being happy about that.  Plus, McShenoig is a very common name in Scotland (or so I've been told).

I do know that James was aware of his siblings on his father's side but they didn't appear to be in contact (or it was very minimal contact).  This comes from some letters I've seen (where James questions which of his siblings the letter writer married).

This whole branch is a mystery.  Unfortunately, James didn't have any children.

[Wendy2305]

There are only 41 births before official registration began and none after 1855 of the name Mcsheniog so wouldn't say it was a  common name
Have you checked the Kirk Session records if they have survived
Another scenario to consider is Margaret died while James was young and possibly raised by a sibling of his father

[lmfamilyresearch]

Margaret having died is not a scenario that I had considered.  If that's the case, I'm wondering why James wouldn't have gone to his father.  After all, he had children by two wives and James (who was the "natural" son of his father).

[Wendy2305]

Margaret may have died before Duncan married so he may not have been in a position to take care of James so maybe a older sibling or his mother may have looked after him
Have you traced all of Duncan's siblings to see if any of them emigrated to Canada and have a son James who would fit

[MonicaL]

As Wendy mentions, the surname McShenoig was not that common really. I think by mid century it had become McShannon likely.

Have you considered this christening entry for Margaret:
   
MARGRAT MCSHENOIG
Father DUNCAN MCSHENOIG (mother not named)
16/06/1804
Ref 532/10 78
Southend

You will have this but just adding here James's death in 1905 in Iowa with father named as Alexander McMurchy www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP2F-S5G9

Monica

[MonicaL]

There are some family researchers who have:

Alexander McShenoig
1795–1858

Birth 27 JUL 1795 North Carrine, Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Death 30 JUL 1858 Wawnosh, Huron County, Ontario, Canada

There is this family tree for him on A/try (you need a subs to view...) www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/8258476/person/-849168638/facts

They have him as son of a Duncan McShenoig and Elizabeth McAlister from Southend, Argyll. From the births of his children on this tree, he looks to have left with his young family for Canada some time around the mid 1830s.

Could James (and Margaret?) have left with this Alexander around this time I wonder? This assumes of course that Margaret and Alexander were siblings of course 

Monica