Author Topic: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?  (Read 4073 times)

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #9 on: Tuesday 18 October 22 11:12 BST (UK) »
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.
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline NicVog

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 08:06 BST (UK) »
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?

Offline KGarrad

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 08:22 BST (UK) »
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!
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline elizabethh

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 10:29 BST (UK) »
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.


Offline aghadowey

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 10:37 BST (UK) »
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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Offline elizabethh

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 10:41 BST (UK) »
Thank -you Aghadowey, as they say you learn something new every day.

Offline KGarrad

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 10:46 BST (UK) »
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?
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline Kiltpin

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #16 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 11:25 BST (UK) »
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
Whannell - Eaton - Jackson
India - Scotland - Australia

Offline NicVog

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Re: Would a death record use a woman's maiden name?
« Reply #17 on: Wednesday 19 October 22 15:58 BST (UK) »
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.