Ann Peat and Thomas Smith,Cupar,Fife.....

[The Happy Granny]

My Great x 3 Grandparents Ann Peat and Thomas Smith were married on August 1st 1834 in Cupar,Fife.

I have a copy from the page from the Parish Records of Banns and Marriages. The other couples on the page have the name of the Minister who married them and the marriage date..........Ann and Thomas don't.

Does this mean only the Banns were read and there was no marriage?

Why would Ann have gone back to using her maiden name in future census records even though she had 2 sons?

How can I find out if Thomas deserted Ann??
Grateful for any help

[LesleyB]

Hi Happy Granny
...and a warm welcome to Talking Scot

It is quite usual for women in Scotland to continue to use and to be known by their maiden name in Scotland, so I don't think I'd be drawing too many concluions about non-marriage or desertion from that alone!

Does Thomas appear on the census records? Is Ann indicated as Married or a Widow in the census? If he is not there it may be possible that he had died, or was working elsewhere.

Best wishes
Lesley

[The Happy Granny]

Thanks for the welcome Lesley.

Ann describes herself as a widow on the 1851 census for Cupar and she is with one son.........but we know Thomas remarried a woman 40 years his junior at some stage.....we cannot trace Thomas until we pick him up as married again and still in his profession as a tailor....on later census records.
I suppose he could have deserted Ann and be working overseas where we cannot trace him.

thanks for your help

Sue