Maiden name / married name .....

[Graham]

Hello, I'm a little bit puzzled and I wonder if anyone can shed some light.

I have a Christian Walker who married John Gray in 1818. By 1841 Christian is a widow, but still going under the name of Walker, while her son living with her is John Gray.

Was it "normal" for a widow to revert to her maiden name?

I've also found several instances on the census of an unmarried female head of household, with unmarried children of different surnames. For example, from 1851

Porter, John Head M 91
Porter, Ann Dau U 31
Lucas, Susan Dau U 12
Milne, Mary Dau U 10

and in 1861

Porter, Ann Head U 42
Luias, Susan Dau U 22
Cheyne, John Grdson 10 months

Susan Luias or Lucas was the daughter of Ann Porter and John Cheyne was her illigitimate grandson. Was illigitimacy really so common in rural comunities as is suggested?

Any help gratefully received

Graham

[AndrewP]

Hi Graham,

It is quite common to find a widow listed under her maiden surname on census forms. Occasionally this is extended to a couple, where she is not widowed.

In Scotland, upon marriage, it is only a convention that a wife takes her husband's surname - it is not a legal formality. There are some, particularly actresses, writers and solicitors who work using their maiden surnames.

So for genealogical searches, if there is no sign of a married or widowed woman indexed by her married surname, then it is a good idea to check the maiden surname too.

All the best,

AndrewP