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Subject: Re: [PHLY-RTS] Was it common? Marrying under maiden name...
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 15:53:26 EDT
In every 2nd marriage in my family in the 2nd half of the 19th century the
woman used her maiden name. In one case, the woman was married 3 times. The 1st
man was a bigamist, so I can understand the use of her maiden name, but her
2nd husband died and, as a widow, she married her 3rd husband using her maiden
name.
While I don't know the law or even the custom, this would appear to be the
way things were done.
Unrelated to the marriage issue but two other customs I've noted:
1. If a child was named for his father and then died, the next son was given
the same name. Creepy, I think, but true.
2. Children were often given the same names as their parents, but called by
their middle names, which of course makes people harder for us to trace.
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