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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2007-07 > 1185483157


From: Montgomery Michael <>
Subject: [S-I] Possible Migration of Scots, Scots-Irish to America
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:52:37 -0700 (PDT)


Dear All

In a previous message I made a few comments about the
standardization of spelling, from an academic point of
view, that in no wise were meant to contradict Linda
Merle's basic point about not being too concerned
about variation in spelling, especially of names, in
records that we all are likely to deal with from the
1600s and 1700s. I was attempting to offer a wee
refinement to her statement that might be of some
interest to some listers.

So let me hasten to say that Linda's caveats are wise
and experienced. Variation in the spelling of
surnames was very real during those days, especially
in the 1600s, and one must not be too surprised to
find a name spelled in multiple ways that frequently
were spelled phonetic or semi-phonetic. A good
example is my own surname, which shows up in so many
forms (all no doubt pronounced more or less the same)
that I recently wrote a short essay on the subject for
the Clan Montgomery Society quarterly newsletter. I
am copying that piece with the list of variant
spellings below.

We are all grateful to Linda for her faithful,
practical, sympathetic, and tireless postings. Her
advice has helped so many in so many ways that we
falter if we thank her not. I have learned much from
her, and I am sure that I can speak for hundreds of
others.

Michael


--- wrote:
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Possible migration of Scots, Scots-Irish in
> the middle to late 1700s to America (Montgomery
Michael)
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:38:27 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Montgomery Michael <>
> Subject: [S-I] Possible migration of Scots,
> Scots-Irish in the middle
> to late 1700s to America
> To:
>
> Dear Linda
>
> I'll not dissent with anything about migration you
> say but would like to expound briefly on two points:
>
> I would, however, dissent a bit with the statement
> that before 800 spelling was phonetic and that there
> was no such thing as standardized spelling. Sure,
> Noah Webster's first dictionary wasn't published
> until
> 1806, but there were British dictionaries around,
and
> the standardization of spelling (a very gradual
> process) had commenced long before that. People
> without education have always and will continue to
> spell phonetically (like a first-grader who spells
> "know" as "no"). Standard spelling shows up in
legal
> documents beginning in the 1500s. Linda's basic
> points (which I take to be that spelling was pretty
> inconsistent among commoners in the 18th century and
> that if one wants to decipher their writing, one
> should read it aloud) I would certainly agree with.
>
> One more thing: let's all lobby the Ulster
Historical
> Foundation to get Perceval Maxwell's book back in
> print. I'd love to get a fresh copy.
>
> Michael

****************************************************************

How Many Ways Can You Spell "Montgomery"?
Michael Montgomery

William Fraser, in his two-volume compilation of
family documents, Memorials of the Montgomeries
(1859), identified an astonishing number of ways (44)
in which our family's surname is spelled. How many
are you aware of? According to his list (to be found
on page 366 of the second volume), The first attested
was Montgommerie, followed by Mundegumbri (c1170),
Mundegumeri (c1170), and Mundegumry, Mundgumry,
Mungumbry (all in 1362). Montgomery did not appear in
family records until 1407, Montgomerie until 1632.

Anyone familiar with genealogical records from
centuries past knows that even short surnames could
take many forms, because they lacked a fixed or
standard form until fairly recent times (the original
of our surname from Gomeric in Normandy was long
forgotten). As a result, names were frequently
spelled according to their sound, which still happens
(because of the way I seem to pronounce my name,
clerks frequently spell it as McGomery). Thus,
McKean, McIan, and MacKane are variants, as are Magee,
Mackie, McKee, and McKay. But forty-four different
forms is a total that can undoubtedly be matched by
few other surnames. I list them below.

Several things account for the array of variants:

1) Centuries ago words often had a silent e at the
end. Thus we find both Montgomeri and Montgomerie,
Montgomery and Montgomerye.

2) The letters o and u before n and sometimes m were
pronounced the same (they still are; compare son and
sun). Thus Mongumry, Mungomery, Mongomry, and
Mungumry occur. There is Montgumerie as well as
Montgomerie.

3) The letters t and d are frequently pronounced the
same (if you're an American, pronounce latter and
ladder). So it's not surprising that the records have
Mundegumeri and Mundgumry, though such spellings seem
to have died out quite early.

4) Of more relevance is the fact that d or (more
often) t were not pronounced at all. Ten of the
variants begin with either Mong- (Mongomry, Mongomery)
or Mung- (Mungumry, Mungomery, Mungumrie). Such
spellings make look a bit unusual for a moment, but
they shouldn't for long, because the lack of t is a
very common pronunciation today. Anyone, for
instance, who is familiar with how Alabamians
frequently pronounce the name of their capital city
will be aware of this.

Other observations could be made, but what is
important is that every one of the 44 spellings of our
surname in the list below has a rational explanation.
Even Muntgumbrj does, because in the 16th century the
letters i and j were often interchangeable at the end
of words. Using just a few principles of spelling
such as the ones outlined above, it might even be
possible to double the number used by members of our
creative family.

Montgommerie (c1000)
Mundegumbri (c1170)
Mundegumeri (c1170)
Mundegumry (1362)
Mundgumry (1362)
Mungumbry (1362)
Mowngumry (1366)
Montegomorri (1392)
Montgomery (1407)
Montegomeri (1413)
Montegomery (1421)
Montegomorry (1421)
Mungumry (1425)
Mongomry (1438)
Montgumry (1448)
Montgummery (1466)
Muntgumry (1468)
Montegomori (1471)
Mwntgumry (1483)
Montgumury (14880
Mungumbre (1498)
Montgumery (1501)
Montgomerye (1502)
Montgumerye (1502)
Mongumry (1505)
Mungumre (1506)
Montgumre (1506)
Muntogumberye (1509)
Montgumiry (1523)
Mungumbri (1527)
Muntgumbrj (1527)
Montgumrie (1546)
Montgumrye (1546)
Mongomery (1548)
Mwngwmry (1562)
Mwngwmrie (1562)
Montgomrie (1563)
Mungomery (1565)
Montgumerie (1567)
Montgomeri (1570)
Montgummerie (1582)
Montgomerie (1632)
Mungumrie (1640)
Mountgomery (1674


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