Genealogy Chat

Thanks Sam I am trying to trace the person who compiled that bit of the information. I do know the woman existed and have checked her details with the Cemetery (a very helpful man who told me over the telephone¬!) She was 90 when she died, she was born in 1759 and died in 1849 and her name was recorded as Ann (not Alice) Cook. What, of course I do not know for certain is that she definitely was the mother of Wiliam Lightfoot born in 1790. Although the person who supplied that info (whoever he is) has got everything else accurate. It's a real brick wall for me here. Thanks everyone for your replies. Alison

Hi Alison Are you 100% certain that you have the correct mother / son? How old was she when she died? If she has a son in 1790, assuming it was her first and she was about 18 when she gave birth, she would be nearly 90 when she died in 1859. If as you say, you don't know where the information has come from, how can you be sure that Alice is the mother of William? I think you need to check it out a bit further just incase whoever it was that recorded this info has got it wrong. Sam

On a marriage cert since 1837, I think you get Firstname "lately Previous-Married-Name, formerly Maiden-Name". Before that... Christine

Thank you. So, when this lady re-married, would her first married name be on the marriage certificate as her 'maiden' name. Does that make sense? Let me explain a bit futher. This lady died as Ann Cook in 1859. She had a son called William Lightfoot in 1790. So to find more details of Williams parents am I looking for a marriage between Ann Lightfoot and a Mr Cook? Or and Ann ? and Mr Cook? Hope that explains it better and thank you again. Alison

In the 1700s a child born 'out of wedlock' would have had his mother's surname, though sometimes the father's name was used as a middle name. This would still have been his 'official' name if his mother later married (there was no formal adoption process) although I have come across instances where the child was later known by his step father's surname.

I have a family in 1851 where the mother and three sons have one surname and the eldest son another, this was because the mother married after being widowed - I believe that children of a mother who married a second time kept their baptismal name.

I have in my tree a man whose mother has a different surname to him. (I don't know where this information came from - perhaps another family member researching the tree) Any ideas why this could be? Whose surname did a child take if the parents were unmarried back in the 1700's? Was it common for a woman to re-marry if her husband died? Would her children have kept he first husbands name? I hope this all makes sense. Thank you. Alison