Genealogy Chat

I believe that when a woman got married in Scotland, she kept her own surname, and didn't take her husbands name. Is this right? and if so, if they moved to England, would this carry on?

Gillian Yes: that is right. Women generally kept their maiden name and if married were referred to by both names. For example if a woman called Eliza Mitchell married George Shearer she would become Eliza Mitchell or Shearer and in the baptism registers for the children would appear as Mitchell even though they are married. Marriage laws in Scotland were slightly unusual because people could take it upon themselves to marry each other unofficially (outside the church) - called handfasting - but this may not have been binding, so the partners to it may have gone their separate ways still, I think, without too many problems! Hope this makes sense! Neil