Does ANYONE in the 21st century, apart rom my mother, still do this?

[clam]

I'm a pedant with the best of us, but draw the line with this one. My mother insists on addressing letters to me as Mrs J >>>>, when that is DH's initial, and mine begins with a C. Even my birthday cards. Drives me mad. Anyone else?

[Cappuccino]

it's just formal address

you are Mrs J Dh until your mil dies

then you become The Matriarch

[marina]

We tend to use it in our family, truth to tell

[Cappuccino]

I must admit I don't use it, but it is correct

it's not some odd thing that only they do

[UnquietDad]

Mine does too, when she writes just to DW, e.g,. birthday cards. It's very irritating.

[IdrisTheDragon]

My mum does. DH got confused and opened a card address to me as he didn't see the fact it said Mrs I T Dragon.

I don't do it myself and am very much a pedant. I think the custom will die out eventually.

[sophiebbb]

No - my MIL is Italian and thinks it highly amusing that I even changed my surname to match her son's!

[Neverenough]

It's an interesting fact that you are Mrs Husband's Initial Then Surname until he dies and only then would you become Mrs Your Own Initial Then Surname.
Fortunately I married a man with the same initial so has never bothered me!
Who becomes the matriarch if there are four brothers though???

Fortunately again, I married the oldest brother and have seen off two sisters-in-law so far-the Other Survivor and I hanging in there!

[clam]

I know it used to be the form a couple of centuries ago, but now? Still? If only I had enough gumption to return the envelope to sender, unopened, but you never know... there might be a birthday cheque inside.

[Cappuccino]

Never I think you get to be your own name when you are the oldest woman

[IdrisTheDragon]

I thought you were always Mrs Husband's Initial then Surname unless you got divorced.

DH's Granny is still Mrs Husband's Initial then Surname and she has been a widow for about 15 years I think.

[keepcalmandcarryon]

I use it particularly in correspondence with one friend, because her DH has such an impressive array of initials (Mrs A B C d'E) and because she always uses the equivalent to me. Personally, use it to people who appreciate it/use it back, wd not impose it on those who don't.

at Cappuccino - can't wait to be referred to as The Matriarch...

[marina]

It is a divorce thing and I love the French Mme Veuve Smith so that everyone knows he fell off his perch and didn't leg it to Marseille with his mistress.
It was in almost universal use until WW2. My paternal grandparents were very hot on this sort of correctness and I think we keep using it as a subconscious salute to their vanished world, not because we think it's right

[fairylights]

my grandparents still address cards to me/us like that and my mum does sometimes but she knows it annoys me!

[purpleduck]

My mom does it and i HATE HATE HATE it.

Never mind the fact that i am Purple-Duck, and dh is Duck

grrrrrrr!!!!

[clam]

It almost caused a punch-up when we got married, as my parents wanted to write 'Mrs John Smith' etc.. on the place cards at the reception, presumably to impress their friends. Our friends would have been horrified. I won that one.

[horsish]

clam that happened to me too! Nearly called off the damn wedding

[soapbox]

I think my mother finds it quite a comfort that formal mail is still addressed to her in my late father's name and initial. Strange but true!

[Desiderata]

Oh, all my letters are simply addressed to 'C*, Somerset.'

They seem to get through OK.

[solo]

Well, I'm divorced and I do NOT wish to be Mrs Anything. I had two birthday cards from my parents last week addressed to Mrs, and I told them I'm a Ms now. They don't like Ms though! Lots of people still write Mrs. I have often when married been Mrs his name or initial Surname. Didn't mind then, but DO mind now!!!

[Upsidedowncake]

When I was a little girl, I remember my parents talking to a maiden aunt about me, slightly tongue in cheek, as 'Miss Cake'.

Maiden aunt responds, 'I am the senior Miss Cake. She should properly be known as Miss U. Cake until I die.'

Of course, once she died, I swanked about as 'Miss Cake' and didn't reply to anyone who didn't address me properly.