Spelling
in Parish registers and other documents
Spelling has only been standardised in the UK since 1870 and the start of compulsory education.
Names of places were written as they were pronounced and often the same person spelt them in several different ways. Example, in the Romaldkirk Parish Register (North Yorkshire), the place name, 'Cotherstone', is spelt:
- Cotherston
- Cotherstone
- Cootherston
- Cootherstone
in 4 consecutive entries.
The name, 'Naby', is spelt also as:
- Nabye
- Nabie
- Naby
One vicar, recorded, 'Glodwick near Oldham', as, 'Glatit near Owhum', since he was not used to the local dialect. You'll find this is very common. For example in the 1881 census I couldn't find my ancestor James Marr in Newcastle. Using the address given on a birth certificate I eventually found him recorded as James Mure.
The vicars writing Welsh names often made a mess of it, e.g., 'Bodfori', is recorded as, 'Potphari'.
In my own family, I've come across the following spellings of the surname, 'Dixon':
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Dixon
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Dickson
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Dickens
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Dixen
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Dixsen
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Dickon
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Decon
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Dyxon
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Dykson
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Diken
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Dicking
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Dyxsen
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Dyksen
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Dickins
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Deacon
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Deakn
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Tegon
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Tixon
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Tecon
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Texon
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Here are variation of the surname, 'Foggan':
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Foggan
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Foggin
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variations of Foggon with a single, 'g', and finally, Fagin
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Foggon
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Foggun
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Foggyn
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Foggen
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Faggan
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Faggin
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Faggon
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Faggun
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Despite the unusual surname I had difficulty tracing this family earlier than the 1670s in Northern England. I eventually found the family again across the Scottish border under the name Fochon. Think of the 'ch' as pronounced as in the word 'loch'.
How about that 'rule' of spelling - I before E except after C? In my family I have a surname 'Grieveson'. I've found it spelt as Greiveson as well as Greevesone, Greaveson, Graveson and Grievesonne
The best advice I can give is to think of all the possible ways a name can be miss-spelt, taking into account how it would be pronounced in a strong local dialect.
National Archives
