"Alias"

[Gordon]

In going over Kiltarlity Parish records I found a James McJames ailas Fraser....

What's with "alias"?

[LesleyB]

Hi Gordon
Can you give us a date for this entry and the full wording - is it a marriage or banns or a birth entry?

In some areas, especially Highland, some traditionally Gaelic surnames had an "English" equivalent e.g. in the 1750s/60s I have a chap, also Inverness area, who is variably referred to as Lachlan Gow or Lachlan Smith or both...

1757 March
Lochlane Smith
13th Lachlan Gow alias Smith & Ann Rose in Culdoich had a child baptised called Isobel born the 10th inst. before the congregation

1769
Lachlane Gow
Jany 29th Lachlane Gow, alias Smith, & Anne Rose his spouse in Milltown of Culdoich had a child baptised named Lachlane born the 26th Curt. Witness Dond. Gow in Ballinlaggan & Rbt.Shearer Milller in Culdoich.

And then he turns up as McIntosh...!

1776 Feb 10th or 18th?
Lachlane Gow Id day Lachlane Gow alias McIntosh & Anne Rose his spouse in Milltown of Culdoich had a child baptised named Janet born the 3rd curt.

Gow is, I think, Gaelic for Smith/Blacksmith. Quite where McIntosh comes in I'm not quite sure!

See also http://www.sonasmor.net/AGM13.html for a very much longer explanation
and http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancest ... ILIES.html
..where there is mentioned a "McIntosh alias Smith"

Date of the entry may be important as sometimes it looks as if the alias was used to disguise a clan surname around the times of the 1715 & 45.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Gordon]

Lesley:

The full entry is as follows from the Kiltarlity Parish, Invernes shire records:
April 12 1775
Donald McJames alias Fraser in Knocknonord (sp) had a child baptized named Ann. Donald Fraser & Donald Fraser
both of Wester Clunes witnessed.

Thanks

[Andy]

Gow or Gowan means Smith. Loads of folk Anglisized their names. Also folk "Adopted" the names of Lairds or Landowners. If they moved about a bit they could have been MacDonald on a baptismal record, Campbell on a marriage and Fraser at time of death!!!! Admittedly this was more usual in the 17th Century.