The Burgar/Burgess families in Shetland

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Retention of female maiden names in documents.

The records in Shetland have a great advantage in that married women retained their maiden surname in the written records.  They did not assume their husbands surname. 

Thus whereas a baptism in England might appear as:

John son of Robert and Margaret Burgar  was baptised ...........

in Shetland it would be:

John son of Robert Burgar and Margaret Leslie was baptised ...........

or

John son of Robert Burgar and Margaret Duncan was baptised ...........

There are obviously two Robert Burgar present having children. However, because of the mother appearing with her maiden name, the two sons (John) can be assigned as children to two different fathers called Robert.

Female maiden names were also used in court cases

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