My OH and I were married in Montreal. For reasons not entirely unconnected with (3) in PMM's post above, my OH wanted to take my name (which isn't much less ridiculous, but easier to spell). We were still living in the UK at the time, so she simply changed the name in her passport according to the UK system, changed the name on our joint bank account, etc etc. When we moved to Ontario there was never any question but that her name had changed.

Her mother, conversely, having been married in the mid-60s in the UK, was always, without fail, addressed by her maiden name in Quebec. After 20 years, trying to explain "no, that's not my name, it hasn't been since I got married, I have nothing whatever to do with the family whose name that is" [there's a bit of family history in there...] got too tedious and they moved to ON last summer. She's now once again known by her married name; the only difficulty was when OHIP tried to recoup medical costs through RAMQ in hte first three months after moving.

is this like one of those Michael Fitzpatrick gags

Doesn't he drink with Ben Dover and Phil McHavarty. Or am I thinking of William Fitzwarren

Butch, you're getting him confused with Seymour Butt

although he is partial to the odd tsing tsao with Wan Hung Lo