Differnces in spelling of surnames?.....

[Maud Jarvis]

I was not sure what board I should put this on, so thought this one might be best, if its not, then I`m sure you will let me know?

This is not terribly important, but it does puzzle me, and leaves me wondering which name is the right one?

My Gt Gt Grandmother was named on the parish record marriage document (which I had written to Edinburgh to obtain some years ago, before I had the use of the computer)
On the document sent to me, her name is shown as EUPHEMIA NELSON her father as George Nelson
She married John Grant, their first son named George NELSON Grant
born 1841, he had used that spelling on all his documents

A few years ago after obtaining a computer, I was searching for various other marriages etc. then thought I would look for her death, when I found it, the maiden name was given as NEILSONand I was surprised to find that she had also been married to James Martin, this of course led me to her second marriage which I had not known about, but then discovered that again the surname was given as NEILSON and not Nelson.

The spelling of NELSON has been used several times in the family for First Christian and 2nd Christian names, so I assumed that the spelling of Neilson must be incorrect, but IS IT? how do I find out if the Neilson spelling is the correct one and not Nelson??

The only reason I want to be sure, is that in writing up my family tree history, I would like to give some explanation about the variation in the name.
I have not as yet started to research her side of the family, still up to my eyes yet with the Grant side, but eventually will hopefully get down to tracing more information about her side, but this leaves the question of which name to look for?
Her death cert also carried the spelling of NEILSON (her son Robert Martin was the informant, but many details were incorrect!!)


Can someone come up with an answer about what the correct name would have been???

[AndrewP]

Spelling varied a lot in the older certificates. In these days, the spoken word was more important than the written word. So it was not that the spelling was wrong, just that was how that person believed it should be written. So, many surnames can be found with two, three or more spellings. In that sense, there is no such thing as the "correct" spelling, just that which was accepted on the day.

Additional to that, there was the problem of illiteracy. Some people may not have been able to correct someone spelling their name differently from the usual way.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[Maud Jarvis]

Thanks for your reply, I know of course that there can be variations in the name spellings, but just wondered if in this instance, there may have been something a bit different as to the reason, it could of course have been their accent making the name sound differently, but then of course it has to be the same boring reason as any other name I`m afraid!!!

Anyway, joking aside, there are names that are correct in being Neilson, apparently it came from one of the Scandanavian countries? and I wondered if this could have been the case with "my" name, at least something a little bit more exotic than the usual reasons (seems I am destined to be a mere commoner after all.

Ah well, back to the drawing board (boo hoo)

[Bertha]

Hi Maud
Which part of Scotland are your Neilson/Nelson's from?
I am a Nelson descendant, my mother's maiden name is Nelson.
However I too have found that in the earlier part of the 19th century, the family spelt it Neilson. I have also come across a Nelson family in Berwickshire where it has been spelt both ways.
My family come from East Lothian, primarily Dunbar, Aberlady, Athelstaneford, East Linton, Gladsmuir area.
We have Euphemia's in our line, sometimes spelt Eupan to add to confusion. I have traced them back to William Neilson/Nelson & Mary Ramage.
Let me know if I can be of any help
Bertha

[Morag]

Hi Maud & Bertha

I also have Neilson/Nelsons in my family.I have Sophia born 1795 to George Neilson and Mary Neilson nee Robertson . They were from St Ninians in Stirling . Sophia married Andrew Watson in 1822 , and she died in 1883 , still in St Ninians.
Are there any connections that you can see ?

Morag

[Andy]

Further back (in Scotland or Ireland) it probably started as McNeill or, if of Viking origin, Nielsen.

[Maud Jarvis]

Thanks you Andy/Bertha & Morag, for your replies.

Unfortunately there is very little I can add to my knowledge of Euphemia Nelson/Neilson, the only info I have s from the marriage document.
The father, George Nelson was a horse Dealer, he was living (I presume) in India Place in the Parish of St Stephen, no name of mother is given.

It is difficult to know whether they were literate or not, being no signatures given on the document, and it would seem that Euphemia did not know her actual birthdate, different ages being given on the census, also the death cert, her son being the informant, many details were incorrect, he possibly did not know about his half-brother George Nelson Grant, he gave the name of Euphemia`s father as George Nelson, but the occupation for his half-brother (he had been a "travelling" postman with the GPO) and had been living for some years in Derby, where he had married first Mary Plews Street, then Mary Hannah Copeland.

The son Robert of Euphemia`s second marriage was born in 1862 and he married Helen MacKenzie, he had also given the name of Jane Neilson as Euphemia`s mother, this Jane had been a witness at the marriage to James Martin!!.
When Euphemia died, she had been living at Blackett Place Lodge, he had given his mother`s age as 69
There are therefore several years of an estimated birth year, on second marriage (age 38) birth year would be 1823
1881 census 60 " 1821
death cert 69 " 1825
No age was given on first marriage document, I only have the 1881 census info so far, it would be interesting to know if she was on the 1841 and what age she would have given then (year of her marriage to John Grant) I have tried looking on the IGI but not knowing the name of her mother, its not possible to know if any of the entries are for her or not

If you have any suggestions, or know of any link, I would be delighted to know of them
Thank you for your interest, Maud

[Maud Jarvis]

Thanks you Andy/Bertha & Morag, for your replies.

Unfortunately there is very little I can add to my knowledge of Euphemia Nelson/Neilson, the only info I have is from the marriage document.
The father, George Nelson was a horse Dealer, he was living (I presume) in India Place in the Parish of St Stephen, no name of mother is given.

It is difficult to know whether the were literate or not, being no signatures given on the document, and it would seem that Euphemia did not know her actual birthdate, different ages being given on the census, also the death cert, her son being the informant, many details were incorrect, he possibly did not know about his half-brother George Nelson Grant, he gave the name of Euphemia`s father as George Nelson, but the occupation for his half-brother (he had been a "travelling" postman with the GPO) and had been living for some years in Derby, where he had married first Mary Plews Street, then Mary Hannah Copeland.

The son Robert of Euphemia`s second marriage was born in 1862 and he married Helen MacKenzie, he had also given the name of Jane Neilson as Euphemia`s mother, this Jane had been a witness at the marriage to James Martin!!.
When Euphemia died, she had been living at Blackett Place Lodge, he had given his mother`s age as 69
There are therefore several years of an estimated birth year, on second marriage (age 38) birth year would be 1823
1881 census 60 " 1821
death cert 69 " 1825
No age was given on first marriage document, I only have the 1881 census info so far, it would be interesting to know if she was on the 1841 and what age she would have given then (year of her marriage to John Grant) I have tried looking on the IGI but not knowing the name of her mother, its not possible to know if any of the entries are for her or not

If you have any suggestions, or know of any link, I would be delighted to know of them
Thank you for your interest, Maud