Birth name v Married name in burial record in Wales

Kathy Funk

Would women be under their married names in the burial records? The area is Trelech a'r Betws in Carmarthenshire, in the mid 1700's.

Thank you!

Kathy

ifyerhappyanduknowit

@Kathy Funk

The information I found on a few web sites is this:

-- A married woman in Wales whose husband had died might have reverted to her maiden name and eventually be buried under that name. ( https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Wales_Church_Records ) ( also found in a great article in FamilyTree Magazine: https://www.familytreemagazine.com/heritage/welsh/researching-welsh-ancestry/ )

-- Some records will list the woman's maiden name and "formerly wife of..." with his name. ( https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/Archives/NLWjournals/ParishRegs do a control F search for "burial" and a good example is found in 19/55 for that word search )

So, unfortunately, it is impossible to know without looking for both surnames, since she could revert back to her maiden name by the time she died and would then be listed under that name in her burial record. She could have kept her husband's name, however, and be buried under that surname! It seems to be specific in mentioning that the reverting to the maiden name happens if the husband passes away first.

Darris Williams

The use of patronymics by an individual or family will be reflected by a female appearing in records with her maiden name. It is important to have an understanding of how long patronymics were used in the parish you are researching. Remember that the use of patronymics tapered off. Some families appear in census records clearly showing the use of patronymics.

A good gauge to look at for your family and the parish will be probate records. It is easy to spot the families who were still using patronymics in probate records. The Welsh probate abstracts will help with this but always follow through to the original document to be sure you don't fall victim of transcription errors.

John and Sheila Rowlands give the best answer to your question in The Surnames of Wales published in 2013 on pages 17-18. They explain that women retained their maiden name throughout life. Keep in mind that they are describing the time when patronymics were in use. This is a game changing book for those with Welsh ancestry. The map on page 56 is worth the cost of the whole book. That map has an impact on your question if you know where Trelech a'r Betws was located.

Kathy Funk

Thanks very much for both answers. I'll be sure to get the book by the Rowlands.

Kathy