Maiden Names: Unlocking the mystery of the Mrs. Jim Lawson Professional Genealogist

Transcription

1 Maiden Names: Unlocking the mystery of the Mrs. Jim Lawson Professional Genealogist 1

2 Women make up half the population, but seem to be the hardest to find on a family tree. Hard, but not impossible 2

3 Two Types of Sources to Search Those created by her Those created about her Diaries/Journals Family Bibles Heirlooms and Keepsakes Census records Marriage/Death records Church records 3

4 Women s Legal Rights in New York In 1848 New York passed a law giving married women limited property rights. The act was revised in 1860, which allowed married women to not only own property, but to also keep their own wages, enter into contracts, sue and be sued in court and to have equal rights in child custody cases. In 1917 New York full women s suffrage passed allowing women the right to vote. 4

5 Ask Yourself these Questions Where did your female ancestor meet her husband? Was he older than she was? Was he someone she knew for a long time? A neighbor or distant cousin? Where did they go to live once they were married? Did they buy or rent a house or did they go to live with one of their parents for a time? How many children were born to them? 5

6 Places to Search for Female Ancestors Marriage Records Cemetery Records Census Records Land Records Church Records Probate Records & Wills Newspapers Death Records Military Records Family Bibles Heirlooms/Keepsakes Naming Patterns 6

7 Marriage Records The first and most obvious place to look. Marriage records include; marriage license, marriage certificate, marriage announcements, marriage banns, and marriage bonds. Need to know the spouse s name, marriage location, and approximate marriage date to find these records 7

8 Marriage Banns o Announcement of a planned marriage, offering the public an opportunity to make any objections on legal grounds. (Such as another spouse in the next town) o Banns were posted in the home churches of the prospective bride and groom for three consecutive Sundays. o If no one objected, the couple was free to marry. o Local libraries or churches may have collected and published marriage banns. 8

9 Marriage Bonds o Taken out by the prospective groom in the court of the bride s home county to declare he was free from any legal entanglement that would prevent the marriage. o As a tool for finding maiden names, bonds are hit-or-miss. o If required, marriage bonds were filed at the county courthouse. 9

10 Cemetery Records Cemeteries keep index-record cards of each internment Use Findagrave.com Go to the cemetery and take note of those people buried close to your female ancestor, may be her side of the family. Although rare, a tombstone may list a woman s maiden name as her middle name. 10

11 Census Records Check every year available for your female ancestor, up until the year that she died, State and Federal. Young couples may be found living with the wife s parents. An elderly parent may be added to the household; or brothers, sisters or other family members may be found living with your ancestor s family. Clues may also be found in the names of families living nearby. 11

12 Land Records Land was important, and often passed down from father to daughter. Examine deeds for your ancestor and/or her husband. Look for Latin phrases like et ux (and wife) and et al (and others) they may provide the names of females, or names of siblings or children. If you find a man (or couple) selling land to your ancestor for a dollar, or other small amount the seller could be the parents or relatives of your female ancestor. 12

13 Church Records Birth or Christening records usually include the names of both parents, including the maiden name of the mother. Most church records will include the spouse s maiden name. Church records are an alternate source for marriage information for periods where civil registration was not in effect. 13

14 Probate Records and Wills If you have a possible set of parents for your female ancestor, search for their probate record or will. Surnames of female children, along with the names of their spouses are often listed. Since estates often involved the division of land, deed indexes for your female ancestor may be able to lead you to a probate proceeding. 14

15 Newspaper Obituaries o Search newspapers in the locality where your ancestor lived for her obituary. o Newspaper obituaries usually list the maiden name of a married woman, her birthplace and sometimes the names of her parents and siblings. Be on the look out for male siblings. o This makes obituaries one of the best resources for finding maiden names. o In a daily newspaper, obituaries usually appeared one or two days after a person s death. o You can also find marriage and birth announcements in her local newspaper as well. 15

16 Death Records A death certificate can sometimes be one of the few places where her maiden name may appear. Since death certificates can often include inaccurate information, check the certificate for the name of the informant. The closeness of the relationship between informant and the deceased can help you determine the accuracy of the information provided. 16

17 Military Records o Was your ancestor s spouse or children in the military? o Pension applications and military Service records often include good biographical information. o Names of family members may also be found as a signed witness on an affidavit. 17

18 Family Bibles Before the start of official vital records, a bible is sometimes the only records tying one generation to another. Bible records are only as accurate as the person writing in them. Their reliability can be suspect, however this is an excellent place to find maiden names of a female ancestors. If you do find a name in a Bible you might want to verify it using other sources. 18

19 Heirlooms and Keepsakes Look for genealogy information in places such as: 1. Cookbooks 2. Baby Books 3. Diaries and Journals 4. Letters and family correspondence (during wartime) 5. Old Photographs (with names on the back) 6. Inscriptions on jewelry, watches or broaches 19

20 Naming Patterns Maiden names of a mother can sometimes be found somewhere among the names of her children. Unusual middle names, among boy or girls, might be the maiden name of a mother or grandmother. Sometimes the eldest daughter is named for her maternal grandmother. Look for ethnic naming patterns as well; Irish, German, etc. 20

21 Other Places to Search Social Security Application Her children s death certificates Husband s genealogy (death certificate, obituary) Insurance documents Divorce Papers Naturalization Papers Passenger Arrival Lists Funeral Home Records Family History Books Contracts and other legal documents Don t laugh at this next one. 21

22 Insane Asylums Many women throughout history have been committed. Some were truly insane, however, some husbands wanted to get rid of their wives for various reasons. He might be seeking to control her property, or he may have had a mistress. Insanity was legal grounds in most states for having a wife committed and getting a divorce and access to her property. 22

23 Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard o Defended a religious opinion that conflicted with her church. o At the direction of her husband she was kidnapped in June of o Examined by two doctors (her husband hired) and declared insane. o She was kept in an Illinois State Hospital for the Insane for three years. 23

24 Sister Search Still having trouble? Try researching your ancestor s sister. Use the same methods discussed with your own ancestor Make sure there is evidence that shows them as sisters. 24

25 Time for a Timeline Timelines serve as a visual representation of your ancestor s life. Also provides you a list of what you have already found. Include; birth, marriage, death, census records, children s births or deaths, church records such as confirmations or baptisms, and anywhere she is included on city directories. Analyze your findings and look for any holes in the timeline 25

26 Definitions 1. Coverture The condition or state of a married woman. 2. Daughtered out Genealogical term for a lineage that has no male heirs to carry on the surname. 3. Dowry Property the bride brings to her marriage. 4. Et al And others. 5. Et Ux And wife. 6. Executrix Woman named in the will to distribute the estate. 7. Grass Widow A woman whose husband has deserted her 26

27 More Definitions 1. Issue Children of a couple 2. Mantua Maker One who practices the art of fashionable dressmaking which required an apprenticeship 3. Matrilineal The maternal line, i.e. daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, so on. 4. Nee Used to indicate a woman s maiden name. (Frances Lawson nee McGhee) 5. Relict A widow 6. Suffragist Term used in America to denote a woman who was for women s right to vote (England Suffragette) 27

28 In Conclusion Don t give up the search Every woman has a story to tell Because of you she can have a voice again 28

29 Any Questions? Thank You! 29

30 Maiden Names: Unlocking the mystery of the Mrs. Jim Lawson Professional Genealogist 30