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Archiver > RHEA > 1997-03 > 0857922038


From: Jack Ray <>
Subject: Re: Question for the RHEAs
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 10:40:38 -0500


wrote:
>
> To clear up possibly something about the Rhea spelling. What I have is that
> the Rhea that I am related to had many different spellings. Rea, Ray, Wray
> were not one of them. The name was pronounced Ray, but very rarely spelled
> that way. I have only seen it spelled Ray in census records.
>
> But some of the other ways it was spelled were: Reah, Rheah, Reaugh,
> Reaough, Reaoh, and Reach. Our name comes from Matthew Campbelll, a Scottish
> Rebel who in 1685 after the Scottish Rebellion was thrown in the dungeon of
> Castle Peel, Isle of Mann. along with the rest of the army that fought
> against the King of Scotland and Ireland. He was cousin to 9th Earl of
> Argyll. If you remember 9th Earl was beheaded for his part in this battle.
> Matthew was able to secure a boat and escape to Ireland. When a young man in
> Scotland his nickname was ruadh(red-haired) pronounced ROOah. He changed his
> name soon after to Rheah or similar spelling. Their were many spellings ,
> but in 1800 Rhea was the accepted spelling. Most with the Rhea spelling come
> from his sons Matthew or Archibald.
> Hope this helps.
>
> Pat Hall-list owner
Thanks Pat
I have that comment, also a copy of 'The Pedigree of Ray of Denston'
Suffolk, Eng. which traces that line of Ray back to 1452 (earliest firm
date, and that is a will). I assumed that teh various spellings were
allowed, but had to ask. My grandfather spelled it REA until he joined
the army. A clerk heard RAY and it has been that way ever since WWI.

Jack

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