----- Original Message ----- From: <jrmaxwel@cc.owu.edu> Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 6:41 PM ===================================== > Source: ROOTS-M@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ROOTS-L] Lucy Stone (1818-1893) > > > The recent discussion on listing maiden names on headstones > prompts me to mention Lucy Stone (1818-1893) an anti-slavery and > women's sufferage activist. After she married Henry Blackwell she > retained her own name. Women who chose to keep their own > names after marriage in that era were then often called "Stoners". > You can find several articles on Lucy Stone by doing a search at > www.google.com. > The practice of changing a woman's last name to that of her > husband is a custom in the US. It is not a legal requirement. To the > best of my knowledge only the state of Hawaii ever tried to enforce > legislation requiring a name change at marriage (this had more to > do with racist than sexist thinking) and that legislation has long > been repealed. > I have often been frustrated in my genealogy research by > another custom, that of the wife using the first as well as the last > name of her husband. For example, in the obituary for Owen Milton > Keim (1848-1914) his surviving children included Mrs. Arthur > Radman,Mrs. R.L. Crosland, and Mrs. Warren L. Jacoby, and his > surviving sisters were Mrs. George Hartman and Mrs. Jacob > Frankenfield. His unfortunate wife was not mentioned by ANY > name; it states "He leaves his widow...". > So, put me down as a yes. If you know her name pay for the > extra letters to record it on her headstone. JR Maxwell >