Dr. Gates tree--Wife has another last name in his will-- West Virginia. Why?

Question

Hello all,

Working on a branch of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr for the WT Challenge.

I don't work a lot with wills. This particular one is for Charles Bruce whose wife is Mary. Probate is dated 1889. His wife is named as Mary Wood in the will. Charles is illiterate, black, and a farm laborer which makes it pretty amazing he has a will. But all his children are correctly listed, so I believe this is the right will for him.

What I'm trying to understand is why is his wife named as Mary Wood. Could it be a maiden name? Has anyone ever seen a will with the wife listed with her maiden name?

The will can be seen here on Ancestry on the bottom right

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9087/images/004715530_00092

Thanks!

Comments

I don't know about American Wills, but I have seen English ones that name the wife of decades by her maiden name.

---

I was taught that the convention in genealogy is the wife is always listed by her maiden name.  It is obvious what her married name is (her husbands).  So it adds clarity to use her maiden name.

Answer 1

Are you sure they formally married and it is not her actual legal name that may have been required for the will purposes?

Comments

good point. I have no record of marriage since those are pretty unusual for this time period.