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Archiver > MIDLOTHIAN > 2007-06 > 1181503489


From: "Duncan Smith" <>
Subject: [MIDLOTHIAN] Recording Name Variations
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:24:49 +0100


Gordon said ... "The variations of spelling are very common, even today. I have Colby ancestors and just the variations that I have seen on U S Census run from the actual spelling of Colby to Culby, Kolby, Kulby, Cobie. It depended of what the census taker heard and their ability to write" ....

I agree with you that the censuses, OPRs and later on Certificates, show lots of potential for name variant spellings. Of course in Scotland we can't be sure of how our ancestors names got spelled in the last 106 years, but if my Midlothian STRATTONs are any guide, then the written evidence that I have been able to see (Wills, Baptismals, censuses, gravestones and the like) does suggest that they became more consistent with the spelling after the mid 19th century.

Duncan, Dundee

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