| How I Found My Ancestor's Maiden Name |
| Since fully half of our direct ancestors were women, our research can hit a major snag when all we know are the names they went by after marriage. Until we determine their maiden names, we can’t begin to look for their parents or extend their family lines. Take the case of Eleanor, wife of Thomas Rhoads. Thomas was an early Ohio pioneer. He bought some land in Adams County, and when he sold it in 1818, his wife “Eleanor Elsey Rhoads” co-signed the deed. When Thomas died in 1820, he left his remaining property to his wife “Alsey” and their seven children. But what was her maiden name? While Ohio has marriage records dating to the 1790s, there’s no record for a Thomas Rhoads prior to 1820. Eleanor died before the advent of county death records, and her children’s death records don’t reveal her maiden name. No church or cemetery records have been found for her. Thomas, however, served in the War of 1812, and Eleanor lived long enough to submit a widow’s application for his bounty land benefits in 1850. To qualify, she had to prove she had been his wife. Her affidavit states that she married Thomas Rhoads in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, on 29 January 1804, and that her name before marriage was Eleanor E. McMahan. Finally, we have that elusive maiden name—straight from Eleanor herself! This is just one example of how persistent searching in a variety of records can pay off. To learn more about the records and strategies that can help you solve your maiden name mysteries, check out my recent article for Family Tree Magazine. |
