A WIFE'S NAME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 99, 20 January 1908, Page 3

A WIFE'S NAME.

A London'papor, "John Bull," says in a recent isiuo:— . , ■ "To a great many Women, their marriage would scarcely seem legal unless they took their husband's surname for their qwn' as part of tho proceedings. Indeed, it is a generally accepted belief that ' the. obligation to do this is enforced by law. . The question has never boon actually brought beioro a judge for decision, the nearest approach to an authoritative legal settlement being when _ Mrs. Fenwick Millor was standing for election to the London School Board several years ago. Sho had not-taken her husband's her marriage, merely altering 'Miss' into 'Airs.,' and a "formal protest was'entered against her election, on the ground that she had not stood under, her proper urn Of course, all points referring to tho election of representatives on public bodies tiro held to'bo import ant' public .questions,, and accordingly tliis protest' -'was . relerred by tho chief returning officer ; " of.' tho metropolis to the law officers of tho" Grown. These distinguished lawyers united .in stating that tho English law does not require', a "'ifo to take her husband's surname. . She can ploaso herself. ■ "Thero are, indeed, a largo number, of cases in society in which ladies (widows) havo not taken thoir second husband's name on their re-ma Triage, preferring 'to keep tho~ uso of a titlo that they received from a previous marriage. Tho death last week,of Sir John Ardagh, the husband of Susan Lady Malniesbury, recalls a ca.se 'i point."': Then wo havo Lily Duchess of Marlborough, I 'tho wife of Lord William Beresford, the-Dnchess of Bnckinghanr inarriejl to Lord .Egerton.- of latton, and so on. Tlio s question of .changing tho name, and thus."losing tho identity ill marriage, is even more important ill. .the caso of professional women,-to whonvVvcry ofton a well-known, arid perhaps . popular, namo is a commercial advantage.- ■ ■ Women .thus situated generally uso one nanio, for puulic work and another for private use; but this obviously has 'many- drawbacks.", '