Genealogy Chat

Hi There I need to pick your brains yet again. When I spoke to the archivist at Stafford records office about by great grandfathers birth certificate, she thought that his mother, listed as Emma Holland formerly Holland, wa a bit odd. She said that in those days (1861) it was extremely unlikely that her maiden name would be given, and it ws more likely to me a former married name. I had always thought that Emma and her husband Vincent were probably cousins, however the archivist thought it was more likely Vincent had married a brother/cousins widow. Have any of you got any experiance of this? Thanks Maxine

Hi Maxine I think the archivist is wrong this time. I have a birth certificate from 1847 and the mothers maiden name is given. I fact I have never seen one without. Baptism registers rarely give the maiden name maybe she was getting mixed up. Formerly is the maiden name, if the woman had married before her previous name is listed as "late". As for the other part of your question, I have a case of a man marrying his cousin's widow. But in your case I think they were probably cousins which is quite legal of course and happened a lot. Margaret

Thanks for that Margaret. I am glad it is as I thought, it was her maiden name, as the family have been difficult enough to trace as it is without even more complications - also the Archivist was a bit of a know-all too- so I am secretly quite smug that she got it wrong!!! Maxine

Hi there My maternal grandmother's maiden name became her married name, when she married grandad. Their families had no known connections - and the church even checked! before they got married. She always joked that at least she didn't have to change anyother documents or signature. Liz

Good point Liz - it might just be coincidence!