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From: "Tony Fuller" <>
Subject: Re: [HWE] Wondering
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 20:35:03 -0000
References: <001201c4e07d$eebca210$8b71a00c@janety74ccy4ld>


Hi Janet

It has always been the French system that women retain their maiden name in
official records.

The French/Huguenot/Walloon/Stranger church records of the Huguenot Society
of GB are great to use because they give the family names of mothers in
baptism records and in many instances mothers on both sides in
marriages/betrothals which takes a lot of what might be educated guess work
out of family research.

Interestingly the system is still the same. When we signed up for our
French house in October both my SO and the vendor's SO both had their maiden
names on the contract to sell, even though they were also called Madame in
the contract. Suits Jenny well because she has always called herself by her
first husband's surname because that's how she is known professionally.

And in France, women are regarded as individuals in law and under the
Napoleonic code have never been regarded as being a vestige of their
husband's ancient property rights.

Regards

Tony Fuller

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