Alicia, >From what we now know about your Robert and Philippine, i can picture another (possible) secenario where they came, unmarried, to the United States and married after their arrival. Robert had insufficient funds for the Town to allow his marriage. Philippine had relatives already in the United States. Philippine obtained a legal permit to emigrate. Robert left home without a permit, officially illegally. Robert and Philippine traveled together to and then on the same ship with their marriage immediately upon their arrival at the port of debarkation probably at that port city. There would be a little bit more about the financial ability of Philippine's parents as they might have financed both ocean fares but still I would start with a search for a marriage in Baden because so many married women did end up on the Manifest with their birth surname. Do you have a copy of the ship Manifest showing Robert and Philippine. Are one above the other on the Manifest or are they several names apart? Their position on the Manifest might be a hint. However, as you know their approximate dates of birth and the logical towns of their baptisms, certainly the LDS filmed Rite Registers are still an excellent start, a possible record of marriage and certainly the records of the baptisms with those entries leading you to their parents and on through their ancestry. djweber djwdjw@ix.netcom.com ------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "A McAdam" <amcadam@msn.com> To: "djweber" <djwdjw@ix.netcom.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 2:56 PM Subject: Re: [Ortenau] Heitz Family - Schutterwald >I will try to order the films. I was not aware of the custom of listing a >married woman by her maiden name on a ship's passenger list, hence, my >erroneous assumption that Robert and Philippine were married sometime after >their arrival in the U.S. > > Thanks for your explanation and suggestions. > Alicia