Re: FLORENCE BELLE HENRY
HENRY GIPE PURDY BROWNE
Posted By: LB (email) In Response To: Re: FLORENCE BELLE HENRY (Theresa)
Date: 3/6/2012 at 12:35:07
I believe there was a divorce or separation between John and E. Catherine about 1878. In the Nov/Dec 2008 Ancestry Magazine article, "Identity Crises," expert genealogists explain why people used aliases. Surprisingly, name changes were rather frequent in history. There are several reasons why this may occur. One reason is the dissolving of a marriage. Beverly Schwartzberg did research on American marriages and breakups during the 19th century. Her research was sited in the Ancestry magazine article. I believe this is the root of the cause for the name changes for both John Henry Gipe (aka John Wesley Henry) and Eunice Catherine Purdy Gipe (aka Eunice Catherine Browne).
Additionally, at this time, I have yet to uncover a marriage certificate for E.C. Gipe to George W. Browne. Eunice Catherine Purdy Gipe is listed in a later marriage document to William Henry Pelley. However, in that marriage record, Eunice Catherine's surname is listed as Gipe and her maiden name as Purdy. This leads me to believe that the surname Browne was also an alias.
If both the husband and wife moved away from their home, and each changed their surname, it seems like a good assumption that marital discord was the reason for the use of these aliases.
Perhaps it is a good assumption until further information is uncovered.
To read that valuable Ancestry magazine article, see the attached link.
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