A Variety of Resources for Finding Maiden Names
Cari Jane
M.B. Morris. Hopefully we can figure out who his mother was.
Cari
Genealogy Goulash
A Variety of Resources for Finding Maiden Names
by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
March is Women's History Month and that prompted me to think about the
women in my family's history. I wish I had met more of them. They
intrigue me and are an important part of my history.
For decades, genealogy pretty much ignored the female ancestral lines.
Older genealogies published in the nineteenth and well into the
twentieth century definitely demonstrate this. A maiden name or two may
be given, but usually the genealogies do not tell much about the
woman's ancestry. Some say only that John Smith married Mrs. Smith, or
that he and his wife Magda were married on such and such a date--but
does not give the maiden name.
Today, we want to know everything about her side of the family too. The
key depends upon discovering her maiden name, without which we don't
know what family we're researching. I am so glad that I am living in a
time where family history does not ignore the women who are such vital
parts of our history.
You may have an ancestor who kindly left many family clues as to the
origins of the females in the family. Your grandmother may have shared
the important tidbit that her grandmother's family was from Fulton
County, New York. Maybe she said that her other grandmother was from
"THE" Griffins of Greene County, New York. Then there are those
great-grandmothers or other females that don't have an obvious maiden
name. Don't despair; there are a variety of records to search. I should
let you know that the names and localities used in this column are not
those of any of my ancestors. Here are some ideas for seeking out
maiden names:
Middle Names
Did your grandfather have a middle name that seems more like a surname?
How about William Porter Griffin or Howard Baldwin Jones? Those middle
names might be clues to some female lines. Of course, some of those
names might be given to honor some local important person, perhaps the
Reverend John Porter. Investigate so that you can rule them in or out.
Church Records
You may have found your grandmother's christening record that nicely
states she was the daughter of Joseph G. Hamilton and Rebecca Ann
Smithton. If you are not that fortunate, be sure to check the
christening records of all your grandmother's siblings. If there were
six children and you have checked only three, it might be time to look
for the others. Child number four's record may produce that maiden name
while those of the other five siblings do not. Who are the sponsors?
Might one of them be the wife's brother with his surname likely the
maiden name of the baby's mother?
If an ancestor was married in a church usually known for a connection
to a specific ethnic group, there may be additional clues to maiden
names and origins in the records.
Birth and Death Records
As with the church records, doesn't it make sense to look for the birth
and death records of all the siblings? Without seeing the record how
can we say it doesn't give the mother's maiden name? Perhaps the
records created in 1875-1900 did not give such detail, but the record
for the sibling who didn't die until 1923 at age 92 might give a maiden
name.
Obituaries and Funeral Stories
Which sibling's death resulted in the obituary that gave a maiden name
of either the deceased or her mother? The news item that tells who came
from out of town to attend the funeral service might list some surnames
that you don't immediately recognize. Might one of these be a brother
to your great-grandmother? Maybe it is Great-Grandaunt Sally's obituary
that tells she was the wife of John G. Smith and that her parents were
Michael K. Anderson and Maria Elizabeth Coates.
Marriage Records
Check for civil marriage records for all. The last one found may be the
one that gives the full names, including maiden names, of the couple's
parents. Marriage bonds for anyone in the family could list other
family surnames that need to be researched. In the case of a divorce
between John and Anna Stockton, the divorce record may list her maiden
name.
Census Records
Are you sure you obtained copies of all state and federal census
records for the siblings of all of your ancestors? If you have not
looked for Great-Grandaunt Betsy and her husband Samuel in the 1850
U.S. census in Cincinnati, you might miss that other woman in the
household with a different surname. Sure, the 1850 census does not list
the relationships, but that different surname begs to be researched. It
might be Betsy's, and your great-grandmother's mother.
Ethnic and Religious Newspapers
Check these newspapers for notices of births, deaths, and marriages.
The Swedish newspaper published in the U.S. might be one that often
lists names of women. It might be an obituary for the husband, John K.
Larson, but it nicely says he was married to the former Helena
Christina Pettersdotter who emigrated to the U.S. in 1872 and tells
where she had lived in Sweden.
A Few Other Sources:
Check at home (and relatives' homes) for scrapbooks, funeral cards,
death dates for siblings, photos that are labeled, and other home
sources that might list other family surnames.
Has someone in the family saved older wedding and baby books (or a
newspaper article on the wedding) that list who gave presents? Maybe
one of them was from Great-Grandma's family.
Check for a published family history for the husband of your
great-grandmother's sister. That might give a few sentences on the
wife's family, complete with a maiden name.
A county history biographical section for the husband of your great
grandmother's sister could be the one that gives a few extra family
details. Someone must descend from all those biographies that list
names, dates, and places. Even a clue in that entry for a distant
cousin's name could be helpful.
Military pension records may give the wife's maiden name or maybe a
previous married name.
Might the land on which your ancestors lived have come down through her
family? Or the land of another family member might have a clue to the
sought-after maiden name.
Online
If you haven't searched online for all parts of the family, you may be
missing some clues to maiden names. Place searches using a given name
are often beneficial. For example, you know your Abigail once lived in
Polk County, but did not know her maiden name. Maybe no one seems to be
working on your Abigail but someone is researching Abraham H. Green who
has a sibling, Abigail, born in the correct year who moved to Polk
County, Iowa. Being creative and using the information you have in your
online searches can pay off with good leads like this that should be
followed up on.
Go Beyond Online
Back in 1982, Anna Hewson put a query in a genealogical society
quarterly. She wanted to find others who were researching John and
Abigail (Worthington) Griffin. Today Anna is no longer researching her
family or has passed away. None of her family history information is
online. That genealogical society only has a printed index to the back
issues, not an online version. If you are only searching online for
clues, just think about what you have missed in that older publication.
While the amount of information found online continues to grow, don't
overlook society publications and local collections.
You can't find the maiden names you need? I hope this column gives you
additional ideas and reminders to lead you to those important names.
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About the Author
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, is a professional genealogist, consultant,
writer, and lecturer. She has lectured all across the U.S. and
coordinates the Intermediate Course, American Records & Research at the
annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is co-author of Your Guide
to the Family History Library and an author for genealogical
periodicals including Ancestry Magazine. She is a resident of St. Paul,
Minnesota and spends many weeks each year at the Family History
Library, U.S. National Archives, and New England Historic Genealogical
Society. Her roots include ancestors from seven different countries and
researching them has given her broad experience and an occasional
headache or two. Comments will reach her at PSWRe...@comcast.net.
Paula is unable to answer individual genealogical research inquiries
due to the volume of requests received. From time to time comments from
readers may be quoted in my columns. I will not use names but may use
your place of residence (i.e. St. Paul, MN).
Copyright 2006, MyFamily.com.
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