Genealogy Chat

Not only marriage certs bring surprises.

We ordered online the death certificate of OH's grandfather's 2nd wife, in order to hopefully find out more about her.

When the cert. arrived, it had a completely different surname, but was the correct person.
Emily had remarried as a widow after grandfather's death and the cert. was in her new surname, with a mention of the ordered surname , at the bottom.

I hadn't realised that they cross checked names that way.

Gwyn

As you probably know, one can also obtain BMDs from the local Rego Office and some of these have their own indices partially transcribed online - see:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/index.php?form_action=local

Local indices are more likely than the GRO to show two names for a widow/divorcee. My ggg grandad, Thomas Younger, remarried a widow:

Marriages Mar 1856 (>99%)
AVEREY Elizabeth S. Shields 10a 539
Purvis Catherine S Shields 10a 539
Younger John S. Shields 10a 539
Younger Thomas S. Shields 10a 539

Thomas YOUNGER
Spouse: Elizabeth AVERY
Spouse: Elizabeth VASEY
Register: C F8 Entry: 204
Date: 27/01/1856
[St Hilda C F]

Elizabeth VASEY
Spouse: William AVERY
Register: C F2 Entry: 284
Date: 14/09/1841
[St Hilda C F]

Her 1st daur was rego'ed as Vasy, her son as Avery, and her 2nd daur as Havery - I presume spelling wasn't a big deal for her.

It is usually only when the female involved has reverted to her maiden name or some other name after the first marriage is over. She is therefore indexed in her "proper" name - the previous married name, and then again in the name she is known by at the time - either her maiden name or any other name she is known by at the time of the second marriage.

Kath. x

hello my parents married in 1935 my mum was divorced bboth her surnames are on the register

sally w

Agreed. I was looking at a similar situation this morning, the wife was indexed twice, once under her maiden name, the other under her previous married name.

The date was 1948.

Does anyone know when they started to do this? Early marriages only seem to be indexed the once, under the wife's current surname at the time.

Thank you everyone - this has been most helpful. Marilyn

As indeed the records show.............

Name: Aileen D W Friend
Spouse Surname: Hughes
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1940
Registration district: Surrey Mid Eastern
Registration county (inferred): Surrey
Volume Number: 2a
Page Number: 804
Find Spouse: Find Spouse

The inference must be that the lady had been married before............

Friend or Hughes....one would be her maiden name and the other her previous married name.

I wonder if someone could assist please. I have just looked up a marriage for John W Oliver, registered in J,A,S, 1947 and it shows the other party's name as 'Friend or Hughes'. Do you know if this means they could not read the writing on the original certificate, or does it have another implication? I wouldn't really have thought the name Friend could be mistaken for Hughes. Many thanks. Marilyn