{"id":62107,"date":"2020-10-02T12:22:52","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T16:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=62107"},"modified":"2024-10-02T13:13:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T17:13:44","slug":"female-ancestors-the-benefit-of-searching-by-her-husbands-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/female-ancestors-the-benefit-of-searching-by-her-husbands-name.html","title":{"rendered":"Female Ancestors: The Benefit of Searching by Her Husband\u2019s Name"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives a great genealogy tip for finding your female ancestor\u2019s elusive maiden name. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that one of the biggest frustrations facing genealogists as they research their female ancestors is the elusive maiden name. As family historians, we concern ourselves with connecting each generation\u2019s ancestors to their parents. Without that maiden name, learning more about our female ancestors can be problematic at best.<\/p>\n

Before you get too frustrated with your search, it\u2019s important to stop and think about what you do know about her. I realize that you feel like you know nothing \u2013 but you actually may know enough. If you know her husband\u2019s name, you might have all the information you need to get started.<\/p>\n

The Mystery of Mrs. Lemieux<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recently I was researching my Philibert line and decided to put in the name of my great-grandfather\u2019s father, Pierre Philibert, in the GenealogyBank<\/a> search engine. I was hoping for results about my great-great-grandmother, since women prior to the early 20th century were referred to as \u201cMrs. [Husband\u2019s Name]. So, one way to find a female ancestor is to search using her husband\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

While looking for something about my Philibert ancestral couple, my results list included a newspaper article with an unfamiliar name: Mrs. Lemieux. As I read this rather lengthy combination newspaper article\/obituary, I surprisingly soon learned quite a bit about the wife of Pierre Philibert!<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Springfield Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), 12 October 1942, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMrs. Lemieux Dies of Motor Injuries\u201d is about the unfortunate accident that claimed Mrs. Eugenie Lemieux\u2019s life when she was struck by an ice truck. For those researching her life there is quite a bit of information in this newspaper article, including: details about the accident; the fact that previous reports misspelled her surname as Lamoureaux (helpful for finding additional newspaper articles); witness reports; and even the name of the doctor who took care of her.<\/p>\n

In the fourth paragraph we read the typical obituary details, including the names of those who survived her. And that\u2019s where the \u201cAha!\u201d moment came that is such a thrill to genealogists.<\/p>\n

That paragraph reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Lemieux leaves two sons, Narcisse Dion, at home, and George Dion of Holyoke; three brothers, Charles, Joseph and Theodore Boufard of Canada: two sisters, Mrs. Pierre Philibert of Lowell and Mrs. Francis Maltais of Concord, N. H.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This one paragraph provides us her son\u2019s names and locations (notice they have a different surname) and her siblings\u2019 names. We now know her maiden name because her three brothers, Charles, Joseph, and Theodore Boufard, are listed. We also know the married names (and, thanks to the listing of their brothers, the maiden names) of her sisters: my ancestor, Mrs. Pierre Philibert, and Mrs. Francis Maltais.<\/p>\n

If we were researching Eugenie Lemieux, we now have some clues that would lead us to other records, such as her death certificate, and two possible marriage records (to a Mr. Dion and a Mr. Lemieux). We also could start searching her brothers\u2019 names (as well as her maiden name) to possibly find information about her parents.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of information as a result of searching on the name of an ancestor\u2019s husband. If I didn\u2019t know anything about Pierre Philibert\u2019s wife (who was Marie Ann Boufard by the way) \u2013 by searching her husband\u2019s name, I learned about her birth family, the names of her siblings, and her maiden name, in an article that really had very little to do with her or Pierre.<\/p>\n

Use What You Know<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good research requires us to think outside of the box. It may seem like knowing a maiden name is essential for finding the details of a female ancestor\u2019s life \u2013 but in reality, knowing her husband\u2019s name can be beneficial.<\/p>\n

I know that not knowing your female ancestor\u2019s maiden name is frustrating. I sympathize with the pain of searching for a maiden name and coming up empty-handed. However, remember one of the benefits of newspaper research is that you can enter what you know, such as her husband\u2019s name, and find information that you weren\u2019t expecting.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

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