[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Maiden name in St. Petersburg marriage records: use some caution!

[Miles Ertman]

   I came across something interesting while researching a family using the
St. Petersburg records.  The surname of the bride given in the records was
not the maiden name of the bride.  It was her married name from her first
husband.  

   The example in question is the marriage record of Ludwig Wetter + Rosalie
Stilter (should be Stiller), 29 Sept, 1872.  When we look for children born
to this couple, we find Gottlieb Wetter, born in Helanka (should be Zylenka
/ Zelanka, just north of Tuczyn), 20 Nov, 1873.  The problem is, the
mother's name is given as Rosalie Breitkreuz.  Now if we do a search for
children with surname, "Stiller" and mother's maiden name, "Breitkreuz", we
get August Stiller, born in Helanka (Zylenka) to Friedrich Stiller and
Rosalie Breitkreuz.  Further investigation into the SGGEE Master pedigree
database reveals the marriage of Friedrich Stiller to Rosalie Breitkreuz, 18
Jan, 1858 in Turek, Poland.  Thus the St. Petersburg marriage record of
Ludwig Wetter + Rosalie Stiller is giving the bride's married name not her
maiden name.  I don't know if this is always the case for marriages in the
St. Petersburg records involving widows.

Miles Ertman