Page 10 KKD Villager October 2024 Page 10 Ilderton and Area Villager • October 2024 Cemeteries may often answer questions like maiden name, birth date and place of origin. Do not be discouraged if the tombstone also lists her solely as ‘wife of” or “relic of” her husband. Official registrations are a good source for civil registrations (birth, deaths and marriages), but may prove to be problematic depending on the era you are searching. Each province and country started documenting at different times, and questions were inconsistent. In Ontario, registration did not begin until 1869, Scotland began in 1855, and it was 1864 before Ireland started keeping records. When civil registrations are not available, religious records may be a source of information. If the family was Christian, it is helpful to know if the family was Catholic or Protestant. In Upper Canada, it was common for Methodist saddlebag preachers to perform marriages for all Protestant denominations, simply for convenience’s sake. This is an example of why thinking outside the box is important. Obituaries in the Victorian era and early twentieth century were wonderfully written. They may be a source for a maiden name, for either the mother or wife, mentioned in passing as the deceased is memorialized in words. If newspaper issues are missing, check all community and denomination papers, the death notice may have been reprinted as news. Tracing the Motherline by Krista Taylor, Archivist, Middlesex Centre Archives Genealogies are commonly researched from the male ancestors. Recording the male lineage predates the modern surname, in the form of tribes, clans and patronymic styling, going back centuries. The male line tends to be the simplest route in the genealogical journey, when the same surname (or a variation of) may be traced for several generations. By contrast, it is not uncommon to come up against the proverbial brick wall when researching female lines. How do female ancestors get lost? While the first few generations of your family tree may not be difficult to name, wading into the era before official records will quickly show researchers how difficult the search may become. Societal expectations insisted that women take on the name of their husbands. If the family wasn’t literate, documents, entries in the family bible and so forth would not exist. In some cases, like those of Hudson Bay Company traders in the north who were married to First Nations women, some genealogies simply refer to the mother as “Indian Woman.” Keeping in mind that men had the right to vote, serve in the military, own land, belong to fraternity organizations and hold public office, this allowed them to be documented more frequently. Women, on the other hand, were primarily documented by the church at the time of their baptism, marriage and death. Generally, women were daughters, wives and mothers without much identity of their own. If someone were to visit the archives and ask for help, here are some suggestions: First, start with what you know. Review the names you already have and pay attention to any name patterns from one generation to the next. It was common for children to receive the maiden name of their mother, along with given names. Check the census records which contain a wealth of information about the family, from literacy, to type of dwelling. It also lists the relationship to the Head of Household. When recording the inhabitants, note if a mother-in-law is listed. If so, you may have found the wife’s maiden name.
Historical records may not exist for any number of reasons, including flood, fire and war, or the record never existed. Records may be transcribed or digitized, as originals are fragile and irreplaceable. Enjoy the search, consider the context, and be certain to document your journey as you search for your female ancestors. The Middlesex Centre Archives is available to help you with your search. Now open Wednesday from 10 am to noon and 1 to 3 pm, and Thursday from 10 am to noon, and by appointment. (2013.0002.6.R12) Elizabeth Smith Robb (1822 – 1906) of London Township, pictured here with her eight daughters, ca. 1895. Standing (left to right): Mary, Elizabeth, Jessie, Ann, Caroline; and (seated) Isabella, Elizabeth (mother), Frances and Violet. Isabella was named after her paternal grandmother, Isabella Jamieson and her brother, Alexander Smith Robb after his mother’s maiden name. Violet, Elizabeth and John are also family names.
The Akister tombstone at St. George’s Anglican Cemetery in Denfield is typical of the era, listing Nancy as the wife of John Akister, without her maiden name.
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