The two maiden names - A mystery not yet solved
There is a puzzle to solve concerning the maiden name of my 3x-great-grandmother, Anna Marianna Sczukowska, in West Prussian of the first half of the 19th-century...
Her maiden name changed from record to record after her marriage to variations of “Echta Sczukowski,” to simply “Sczukowska” or just “Hecht.” Her marriage record states that her “nata,” or birth name, was “Sczukowska.” However, by the first child in 1827, the “Hecht” or “Echta” name begins to appear – often in combination with the name “Sczukowska.” Why? That is the mystery. In very early church records, “echta” was a term used for legal spouse or wife, but in this case, “Echta” and “Hecht” appear as surnames. In her daughter Veronika's Illinois death record, Anna's maiden name is listed as "Hecht." Perhaps she was adopted into the Hecht family, would inherit from them, and took the associated surname? Maybe Anna had an earlier first marriage to a "Hecht" and used that husband’s surname (but not on her marriage record with Adalbert)? No record of such a marriage has so far been found. Maybe her mother remarried a man named “Hecht, and she took the step-father's surname”? Anna "Hecht Sczukowska" is definitely the same woman in all the records. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know -
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