If you have delved back through your family tree you will no doubt have found names spelt differently, an obvious result in the (not necessarily that distant) past where the subject themselves is illiterate. Conversely there are those with consistent unusual spellings, who only place their mark, but still know to direct, say, the Vicar to spell their name correctly. Foord is a good example.
Also there seems to be a level of choice, as in my own family there are those of my Grandfather’s siblings and their descendants, who spell their surname Clement rather than Clements. This has happened many times over the past years with the names changing back and forth over and within generations.
I have recently been ferreting around some early (1600s) ancestors, and Michael is repeatedly spelt Mighel, even for the same person at the same time.
My attention was drawn to my 9x Great Grandfather, an Edward Ely (or Elie) due to his longevity, he died at Eastling in 1640 aged 86. He had married again in 1615 (already aged 61), at Harrietsham, the 45 year old widow of James Tassell, farmer. Edward was described as a Yeoman, of Eastling.
The widow’s name was recorded as Cartwright Tassell, which seemed very unusual.
Further digging found James Tassell being married on 23 November 1588 (that’s only a few months after the Armada, for context) at Tonge to one Gartred Catlett. Others have later recorded her as Gertrude.
I assume that whoever recorded her name as Cartwright must have heard Gartred and phonetically written the nearest word that they knew.
James’s mother looks to have been Alice of Brandenburg so perhaps Gartred also had Germanic connections and a guttural accent? That I will never know for certain does not diminish my interest. Has anyone else found a baffling name?
