Hi all,
Can someone tell me if a German married woman, with a child, in about 1866, was widowed in Germany and came to the USA , would she retain her married name, or revert to her maiden name?
And if she remarried, what surname would appear on the marriage certificate in the USA, her maiden name or her married name?
If no one knows about that time frame, Wolf or anyone, how would that be handled today? I just found out in helping a friend search for Italian ancestors, that an Italian woman retains her maiden name and at Ellis Island one might find her with one surname, the kids with another.
Nancy
Nancy,
around 1866 and up to about 1980 in Germany or Prussia
a widow would retain her married name.
If she remarried, her widowed name would be on her
marriage certificate, often her maiden name would
also be noted as geborene ... (born)
Today it is more complicated, she may retain her maiden
name when married, may add her husband's name to her
maiden name or may take her husband's name, also
the husband may take the bride's name or add it to his
name. For the children, the parents have to decide
which of their parent's last name they will get.
Diether Caspritz from Schwalbach, Germany
Well, thanks for the answer Diether, though I think the waters are more muddied than ever now 
I have Augusta Schwertfeger married to John Groppe -- there is a marriage for them in the USA about 1866. The family story is that her daughter Matilda was born in Germany, also (Hannover), that she was probably Schwertfegerf (which fits with the mother's marriage) and only adopted by Groppe, not his natural child.
Then Matilda marries Joseph James McNamara in about 1891. Both of them are from Ohio Co. WV (USA). Marshall County West Virginia is right nextdoor, very close, and a lot of people in the area got married there.
I find a marriage record for this couple below, and it sure does look like it Should be mine; ages are correct, location is correct....except for that danged Ebbinghouse (-haus?) name!
MARSHALL CO WV MARRIAGES
12-12-1890 J. Joseph MC NAMARA ae 23, Ohio Co m. Tillie EBBINGHOUSE ae 25, Ohio Co.
I was hoping/ wondering if that name might be Matilda's birthname; or maybe she was born out of wedlock? It makes my head spin trying to come up with scenarios. Maybe I am trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole, but I Don't come up with another marriage for those two.
Thanks!
Nancy
Nancy,
an illegitimate child,
since 1798/1810 in areas where the Napoleonic
Code Civile was in place (e.g. in areas left of
the Rhine river), and after 1874/76 also in all
other German areas, received the name of the
mother.
However before 1798/1810 and before 1874/76 in
the last mentioned areas, (also in Hannover)
the child received the father's name, if the
father was known.
So, it could be that Matilda was illegitimate,
her father's last name was EBBINGHAUS. Therefore
her official name was Matilda EBBINGHAUS, but
because she lived with her mother, she was
referred to as Matilda SCHWERTFEGER and later
also as Matilda GROPPE.
A preceding marriage of Matilda with an
EBBINGHAUS could also explain the name, but I
think you ruled that out.
Does that help?
Diether
I have Augusta Schwertfeger married to John Groppe -- there
is a marriage for them in the USA about 1866. The family story is
that her
daughter Matilda was born in Germany, also (Hannover), that she was
probably
Schwertfegerf (which fits with the mother's marriage) and
only adopted by Groppe, not his natural child.
Then Matilda marries Joseph James McNamara in about 1891.
Both of them are from Ohio Co. WV (USA). Marshall County West
Virginia is
right nextdoor, very close, and a lot of people in the area got
married there.