Genealogy Chat

The spelling of surnames was regularised in 1879, at the passing of the Education Act. Basically, a Teacher wrote down the name that a child gave her, then taught the child to write that name! You can never say which was the 'correct' spelling and I think it was probably sheer chance which brought your ancestor back to Brewerton - which may not in fact have been correct - he could have started out as Broughton, from the place name. Even if someone could read and write their name correctly, they would be most unlikely to correct their 'betters' who were writing it down, it simply did not matter enough. Olde Crone

Hi Jeanie I think it has a lot to do with how the name was pronounced, and if the person had an accent especially if it was not a local one. They could only say what the name was and not spell it, therefore it was open to the interpretation of whoever wrote it down as to how it was spelt. I have a family of Reids who lived in a small village where presumably everyone knew everyone else. They are frequently mistranscribed as Reay - presumably when they first came to the village someone misheard the name and it stuck with them. This is despite the children all signing their marriage registers as Reid. It made them a nightmare to find, and I actually got there by accident as one of the daughters had an unusual first name. I think you just have to try all the permutations and hope for the best. Helen

I know no one will have the definitive answer to this but I have been giving some thoughts to the miss spelling of my paternal name. When William Brewerton got married in 1784 the bans read Broughton but he signed himself Brewerton.I guess that he could sign his name but not read. His first child was given Brewerton but the rest various themes of the same. Benjamin 'Burton' 1799' one of Williams son's married his first wife under that name but his second wife under Broughton in 1839 but by the 1841 he was back to Brewerton. Now Benjamin could not write or presumably read, so how come the 1841 got it correct and this is the name that followed him. I understand that even the clerks could not spell etc. Just wondering how the name came back to Brewerton.