The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 5, February, 1885 — John Shaqi
The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 5, February, 1885Various
History
The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 5, February, 1885
Various
Massachusetts -- Periodicals; New England -- Periodicals
Another custom, as common, and quite a favorite one with many married
ladies, is that which changes her middle name by substituting her maiden
surname; for example, Mary Jane Smith marries James Gray, and
immediately her name is assumed to be Mary Smith Gray, instead of Mary
Jane Gray, her legal name. The wife, if she so chooses, has the right by
general consent, if not by law, to retain her full name, adding her
husband's surname; but she has no right to use her own maiden surname in
place of her discarded middle name. Much confusion might arise from this
practice, as the following illustration will show. Mary Jane Gray
receives a check payable to her order, and she, being in the habit of
signing her name Mary Smith Gray, thus endorses it, and forwards it by
mail or otherwise for collection, and is surprised when it comes back to
her to be properly executed.
Again, Mary Jane Gray has a little money which she deposits in the
savings bank, and, for the reason already given, takes out her book in
the name of Mary S. Gray. She dies and her administrator finding the
book tries to collect the money, but he being the administrator of Mary
Jane Gray and not of Mary S. Gray may find the Treasurer of the bank
unwilling to pay over the money until he is satisfied as to the identity
of the apparently two Mary Grays, which, under some circumstances, might
be a difficult process.
These changes are usually made thoughtlessly, but the result is none the
less serious than though it were done with the intent to deceive or
mislead, and the mischief that often arises in consequence is very
great. These changes that have been noted from the nature of the case
can only occur with women, since men have no occasion to make them, and
in point of fact cannot; but there are those, quite analagous in
character, that are common to both sexes and should be avoided unless
the necessity is very apparent. Double names are sometimes very
convenient for purposes of identification, but they may also prove
fruitful sources of difficulty and trouble. As an illustration, Mary
Jane Smith is known at home by her family and to her acquaintances as
Mary. For some fanciful reason or local circumstance she wearies of
that name and becomes Jane. Both are equally hers, but her acquaintances
who knew her as Mary might well plead ignorance when asked about Jane
Smith; and the acquaintances of the latter might never surmise that Mary
Smith had ever existed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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