My gg grandfather John Connolly married my gg grandmother Margaret Brennan Kiernan. Both were Irish immigrants to America around 1850, the approximate date of their marriage. Both had been married before, in America, and I believe both had children from their first marriages. It suddenly occurred to me that I don't know what happened to the children of Margaret's first marriage (if there were any)! So the question is this: does anyone know what happens to the mother's children in a case like this? Are they taken on by the family of their deceased father(I'm sure that happens in some societies, and I think I remember reading somewhere that in the case of divorce, the husband got the kids in the 1800's)? Are they raised by the mother and stepfather, and keep their original last names? Or do they automatically change their last names to that of the second husband? And is this done officially, or just as a matter of course? I just hope I don't have to reexamine and possibly rearrange my family groupings, an annoying prospect. Thanks in advance, -Pat.