Genealogy Chat

the idea that a name has a single fixed correct spelling only really caught on in the later 19th century. Before that, different spellings of the same name tended to be regarded as freely interchangeable, and you could spell people's names according to your taste not theirs Illiteracy isn't a big factor, you can get the same variation in educated families. Their problem was, their ancestors had never decided on a "correct" spelling, and they didn't know what their descendants would settle on People tend to assume that the modern spelling of a name has always been the correct spelling, even if their ancestors never seemed to know it, but if you think about it, there are no grounds for assuming that. Even families with manorial records back to Domesday had nowhere to look to find the "correct" spelling of their own surname

Exactly right Helen - even in these days of "universal literacy" there are many forenames which are phonetically "correct" but have unusual spellings.

As to not being able to read and pick up on mistakes- it is only relatively recently that we have had to write our own names or worry about spelling them correctly. People would have written them the way they sounded - I have one lady who was Meling when christened, Maling when married and Mealing on her children's birth certs. Who can say which is the "right" version? I've gone with Mealing as that is what the family are on the census, but that may be the enumerator's idea.

Guild of One Name Studies is www(.)one-name(.)org The person who is undertaking the study HAS to respond to your query, just provide them with your basic tree for the name and they will give you whatever info they have that ties in. They will have collected all BMD refs for the surname and many census, parish reg, wills etc etc Maz. XX

If you go to the Guild of One Name Studies site you will find there is someone with an interest in this surname. Maybe they can help,I have no connections with the name, sorry.

Michelle, What area are you looking at with your Greatorix family? I have some photos from 1920s which include school photos with Greatorix mentioned from Scredington near Sleaford, Lincs. Mail me if they are of interest. Elisabeth

40-odd different spellings in one parish! http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/A97-GROX.htm

Or can anyone help with the name of Greatorex/Greatrix/Greatrex. I have a number of various certificates for relatives and the names are often spealt differently (even though I know I have the right ones!!) I wondered if this was because a couple of them couldnt write (as they have only made their mark with a cross) and so consequently couldnt read and pick up on the mistake. Does this make any sense or am I going totally mad!! And does anyone know of an index of these names that I could perhaps buy or something like that. All help and advice will be much appreciated. cheers Michelle.