Just a word of caution - I have the birth certificates for 2 siblings where the mother`s maiden name is given as `formerly Stephenson` on one and `formerly Gray` on the second. I finally discovered that the mother was born illegitimate, but then took the name of her step-father. But why she varied it on the two certificates is a mystery - perhaps she had a poor memory and could not remember what she had said on the first occasion ! Barbara ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Fellowes" <peter.fellowes@ntlworld.com> To: <eng-durham@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 10:55 AM Subject: [ENG-DURHAM] Maiden name or Previous Marriage > Greetings to all, > > I just have query that I would like clarifying if possible please, I seem > to come across so many 'Urban Myths' with my research I often lose track, > either that or it is the advancing years taking their toll. > > > > The year is 1915 if that may be of any help. > > > > On a birth certificate under column 5 which is headed: > > Name, Surname and Maiden Name of Mother I have this: > > > > Florence Elizabeth Olsen formerly Fellowes. > > > > My question is; with it saying 'FORMERLY Fellowes' do I take this to be > the mothers Maiden name or does the term Formerly refer [or may refer] to > the mother having been married before and this was her married name of the > previous marriage and not her maiden name. > > > > Regards to all > > > > Peter Fellowes > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-DURHAM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I would add another note of caution to what Barbara said below about mother's former and maiden names on birth certificates. I have a birth cert. dated May 1871 where I know that the mother had been married twice before and where she had a daughter with her third husband. On the birth certificate of that daughter it only shows the mother with her last former name, from her second marriage, and does not mention her surname from her first marriage nor her maiden name. That former name is noted as Formerly and not as Late as Stan's information states it should be. I have the same family in the 1871 census, taken just before the babies birth, where the mother's 4 children from her previous two marriages are shown with their two differing surnames and who are noted as step children to their mother's 3rd. husband. I have also found the births of all of those 4 children and the two former marriages of the mother so know that she definitely had more than one married name, plus her maiden name of course. It would seem to me that someone either didn't ask the mother about any other surnames she had had, or the mother didn't understand the question put to her on the subject of her surnames. Regards Jenny DeAngelis Spain. <<> Just a word of caution - I have the birth certificates for 2 siblings where > the mother`s maiden name is given as `formerly Stephenson` on one and > `formerly Gray` on the second. > > I finally discovered that the mother was born illegitimate, but then > > took > the name of her step-father. But why she varied it on the two certificates > is a mystery - perhaps she had a poor memory and could not remember what > she had said on the first occasion !>>