Probably a daft question but if a girl was a servant could she have been married - 1901?

[Tinker]

Have found a census entry which adds up names and age and area-wise with my great granny. But, she's a servant stating that she's single. But it's her married name that's shown. She could, of course, have lied about marital status (I'm assuming she might not have been allowed to continue to work if married). Or it could be the wrong person and my g granny wasn't even married then anyway but...

Does anyone know more?

I think most girls would have been expected to leave domestic service if they chose to marry but I bet lots kept it secret and lied to their employer. I think some (probably higher-status) servants might have been able to be married and work as live-in servants - eg if the housekeeper married the butler. How intriguing!

Isn't it? It's probably not her but unusual-ish name. It's all so frustrating.

you need to find her marriage date, and then
look for your great grandad on the census, that should prove whether it is or isnt her.

I would have thought if she was married she wouldn't be allowed to work but I don't know! Mysterious.....

I think senior servants were allowed to marry, and some domestic jobs were advertised as for married couples ie a smaller household might want just a gardener/handyman and a cook/cleaner.

Also, if the census was done after she got married, she may have put her married name down, and "servant" as a (former) occupation...?

Perhaps she was still working as she hadn't had children yet. I think that was quite common - that women would continue working until they had children.
I would imagine that there were no hard and fast "rules" - "servant" could cover so many situations, and I'm sure each employer had their own "rules" - no different than now.

Thanks all. Yes, I do need to find her marriage date really, that will resolve it - but don't know where she married, that's my next problem. Thanks anyway for letting me muse on this.

If it's an unusual-ish name have you tried FreeBMD for the marriage? Search for ggranny's maiden name and for ggranddad's name, see if you get any references in common.

Sorry if this is teaching you to suck eggs...

Thanks P&L - I don't know her maiden unfortunately. And she may have married in Ireland... Will have to get asking my few relatives who may know

Ah, I've got a "may have married in Ireland" too, on DH's side, who is also a "may have inconsiderately gone back to Ireland to have her children and hence not featured in the BMD records at all" .

You could just search FreeBMD for your grandfather's name, then see if any of the first names on the same page match (each page reference generally contains two men and two women -- you have no way of knowing which man married which woman without ordering a certificate, but if you get the right man's name and one of the matching women has the right first name it's often worth a punt).

But if they married in Ireland that won't do you much good.

Tinker I pay for a BMD site, if you like I could search and see if I can find anything,

I am on nanny 475 @ hotmail dot com, cant do it till tomorrow tho as only on dial up till then, broadband going in tomorrow!

Thanks Shoshe - very kind of you, will be in touch. Do feel very guilty now as Portofino has also searched for stuff for me recently. Must sign up myself.

Shoshe - have had anothe rquick look on Ancestry (free trial expires this weekend) and I'm pretty sure she got married around 1894 or 1895 so I don't think this could have been her. Have just realised I put 1901 in title when I must have looked at 1881 or 1891 .

If you can find her (or them) on the 1911 census, it tells you how lon they have ben married. HTH

Oh that's interesting. Thanks

Tinker I am on line again now if she want some help.

Thanks P&L - I don't know her maiden unfortunately. And she may have married in Ireland... Will have to get asking my few relatives who may know

A birth of one of her children will help - get the birth certificate of on of her children and it will give you her maiden name and any other former names (if she was married twice before then it should state those names also)

Then you will be armed with both names for searching for the marriage certificate and hopefully find the correct one!

If she had several children after 1911 and you know all the first names of the children - then search the GRO indexes for all the childrens births - as it will give the maiden/former name on the indexes after 1911. If the name keeps coming up with all the names then it is likely you have the right maiden name and can search for a marriage using both names. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks Shoshe - will email you

Ivykaty - I think I must have been looking at 1891 despite saying 1901 in my thread title. Sorry. But, I have a marriage certificate for one of her children dated 1927 and the maiden names of the parents aren't on it. I doubt she had any children after 1911. Thanks anyway

The actual birth certificate will have the maiden name on it - and you would be surprised how long woman continued to have babies... I have great grandparents that were forever falling out but they still managed to have children from 1891-1914!

Marriage certificate only ever has the fathers name and occupation - even today the marriage certificate is still the same as it was in Julky 1837 when it was first used. Whereas the other two certificates have changed and progressed.

Ah, I misread what you said initially said Ivykate. Yes, yes, I need to get the birth certificates. Must make a list of all these certificates I need to order.