Re: Surname spelling

Lesley Robertson wrote:
"Gordon Thompson" <grthomps@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:lDlto.29572$Ib3.8538@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Lesley Robertson" <l.a.robertson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:81d2f$4cb593cb$83b4502b$3001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Noreen" <noreen@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:sLqdnUgoSN5ewyjRnZ2dnUVZ_smdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I use Family Tree Maker to store my 'family' details and am in a quandary as to how to present surnames. My main interest is in the Playdon name and, of course, over the years it has changed from Pladen/Pladon in Chipping Campden and sometimes Pleaden/Pleadon and so on until the spelling that my relatives use. My question is: Should I show their names as the incumbent wrote it at the time of the child's christening or use the surname as it is shown in later censuses? I do realise that many people had no idea how to spell their names but when the names change through various generations it is hard to keep trace of them via the computer programme. Any suggestions, please?

Noreen
For the main entry (the one used on the family page) I use the version that the person used as an adult (this will then cover most entries). A second one (eg the baptismal one) goes into the aka box with its source - that way they both show up in the index. Any addition spellings go into the notes section, again with their source.

Lesley Robertson



There may be less of a problem in England, but in Canada in the early days many prople could not read or write, so in many cases the name is written as the minister/census taker heard it, (or thought it should be) which gives rise to lots of differences. I have church records where the minister wrote the surname one way, and it is signed with an obviously different spelling. I have one where the family bible shows one name for the bride's surname, another is shown in many "records", and the birth registrations of the children show yet a third and forth. But then, who could imagine that anyone years later would actually be worried about such things (and even have nightmares about what it should be).

Gordon Thompson Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I can't comment about England as I've done very little research in english records, but I have Church of Scotland entries where the Minister has used different spellings for the surnames of (for example) the child and parent in a single baptismal entry, despite the fact that in the 19th century most scots were literate no matter their social standing. The Minister wrote what he wanted to write.

Or the vicar wrote what he thought he'd heard. I've got two instances of his version of the name differing from the signature and the signature is the more useful. In one case it was simply the vicar adding a terminal "e" but it was a significant difference. I also have a case where the name as written simply doesn't make sense - Elizabeth Asterman; unfortunately she just made her mark.

--
Ian

The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang
at austonley org uk
.

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