Post by Zenobia on Apr 12, 2007 15:54:38 GMT -5
Those who are fortunate enough to trace their Cornish ancestors back into the 17th and 16th centuries, are eventually going to encounter a situation involving variable surnames.
In England in general, surnames came into common use by about the 13th century, and were 'fixed' in most locales by the 1500s.
But in Cornwall, it is still possible to find instances of varied surnames or 'aliases' as late as the early 1700s in some cases.
Many Cornish surnames are patronymic, meaning that they derive from the name of the subject's father. Therefore, John, son of Bawden might call himself John Bawden, while Thomas son of Richard would call himself Thomas Richards.
Cornish people also liked to call themselves after their landholdings, and in early Cornish records this can also cause confusion.
A few examples:
In 1591 in Gwithian, Bennett Harry married Cheston Whita, and children of Bennett Harry began showing up in the christenings with regularity. However, Bennett held land in the tenement of Angarrack, and at least two of his children show up not as children of Bennet Harry, but as children of Bennett ANGARRACK. Even later, Bennett's eldest son John routinely called himself John Harry alias Angarrack, to distiguish himself from his cousin John Harry alias Tolsethen.
Another example, also in Gwithian: Richard Roberts began having children around 1566. His wife was known to be called Jane, as her burial in 1603 as the wife of Richard Roberts is found in the register. But no marriage for a Richard Roberts to a Jane can be found in the Gwithian PR or that of any of the surrounding parishes. When Richard died in 1624, he left a will in which he called himself Richard Roberts alias Trevernan, the latter being the name of his major landholding. In his inventory, however, he is called "Richard Roberts alias Jenkin". And checking back to the Gwithian marriage records, in 1565 we find the marriage of "Richard, son of Robert Jenkin and Johan, daughter of John Tremeryn". Altho' Richard's father used the surname Jenkin, Richard himself chose a true patronymic, calling himself Richard Roberts (Richard, son of Robert). The name stablized after that, all of Richard's male decendants using Roberts as a surname. It is also interesting to note that just a few months before Richard's marriage, his father, Robert Jenkin, married Jennet, who was described as a widow of ____ Tremeryn. So it is likely that Richard married his step-sister.
More Gwithian examples:
Cheston, d/o William Cock is called Chesten wife of John Coser in the will of her stepmother in 1660, and Chesten wife of John Williams in the will of her brother Anthony Cock in 1679. At first glance it looks like she married twice. But, no, she was married only once, to John, who was chr. at Gwithian in 1621 as the son of William Williams alias Coser.
Jane, another daughter of the above William Cock, is called the wife of Thomas Nowell in her stepmother's will and the wife of Thomas Messer (sic) in her brother Anthony's will. She was actually the wife of Thomas Messenger of Lelant, who was the son of Nowell Messenger, and therefore sometimes used the patronymic name of Thomas Nowell.
One more: Bennett Kerrow of Gulval had two sons named James chr. in 1611 and 1613 (both lived to adulthood). Bennett and his sons eventually removed to Lelant, where his sons (called James the younger and James the elder) are variously found in the records as James Kerrow, James Bennetts and James Bennatts alias Kerrow. Bennatt himself is called Bennatt Bennatts alias Kerrow in his administration account, perhaps indicating that his father was also called Bennatt, or more likely the surname Bennatt, used as a patronymic by his sons, became retroactive and was then applied erroneously to the father.
So, if you have a person in the 1600s or 1500s who ought to be found earlier but isn't, consider that he might have changed surnames. For instance, if your Reynold Jeffrey marrying in 1620 cannot be found in a christening about 25-35 years earlier in his home parish or surrounding parishes, consider trying to see if you might find a man named Reynold, with a father named Jeffrey as a given name and a different surname. It is a tricky proceedure, but can be very rewarding when you make that elusive connection!
In England in general, surnames came into common use by about the 13th century, and were 'fixed' in most locales by the 1500s.
But in Cornwall, it is still possible to find instances of varied surnames or 'aliases' as late as the early 1700s in some cases.
Many Cornish surnames are patronymic, meaning that they derive from the name of the subject's father. Therefore, John, son of Bawden might call himself John Bawden, while Thomas son of Richard would call himself Thomas Richards.
Cornish people also liked to call themselves after their landholdings, and in early Cornish records this can also cause confusion.
A few examples:
In 1591 in Gwithian, Bennett Harry married Cheston Whita, and children of Bennett Harry began showing up in the christenings with regularity. However, Bennett held land in the tenement of Angarrack, and at least two of his children show up not as children of Bennet Harry, but as children of Bennett ANGARRACK. Even later, Bennett's eldest son John routinely called himself John Harry alias Angarrack, to distiguish himself from his cousin John Harry alias Tolsethen.
Another example, also in Gwithian: Richard Roberts began having children around 1566. His wife was known to be called Jane, as her burial in 1603 as the wife of Richard Roberts is found in the register. But no marriage for a Richard Roberts to a Jane can be found in the Gwithian PR or that of any of the surrounding parishes. When Richard died in 1624, he left a will in which he called himself Richard Roberts alias Trevernan, the latter being the name of his major landholding. In his inventory, however, he is called "Richard Roberts alias Jenkin". And checking back to the Gwithian marriage records, in 1565 we find the marriage of "Richard, son of Robert Jenkin and Johan, daughter of John Tremeryn". Altho' Richard's father used the surname Jenkin, Richard himself chose a true patronymic, calling himself Richard Roberts (Richard, son of Robert). The name stablized after that, all of Richard's male decendants using Roberts as a surname. It is also interesting to note that just a few months before Richard's marriage, his father, Robert Jenkin, married Jennet, who was described as a widow of ____ Tremeryn. So it is likely that Richard married his step-sister.
More Gwithian examples:
Cheston, d/o William Cock is called Chesten wife of John Coser in the will of her stepmother in 1660, and Chesten wife of John Williams in the will of her brother Anthony Cock in 1679. At first glance it looks like she married twice. But, no, she was married only once, to John, who was chr. at Gwithian in 1621 as the son of William Williams alias Coser.
Jane, another daughter of the above William Cock, is called the wife of Thomas Nowell in her stepmother's will and the wife of Thomas Messer (sic) in her brother Anthony's will. She was actually the wife of Thomas Messenger of Lelant, who was the son of Nowell Messenger, and therefore sometimes used the patronymic name of Thomas Nowell.
One more: Bennett Kerrow of Gulval had two sons named James chr. in 1611 and 1613 (both lived to adulthood). Bennett and his sons eventually removed to Lelant, where his sons (called James the younger and James the elder) are variously found in the records as James Kerrow, James Bennetts and James Bennatts alias Kerrow. Bennatt himself is called Bennatt Bennatts alias Kerrow in his administration account, perhaps indicating that his father was also called Bennatt, or more likely the surname Bennatt, used as a patronymic by his sons, became retroactive and was then applied erroneously to the father.
So, if you have a person in the 1600s or 1500s who ought to be found earlier but isn't, consider that he might have changed surnames. For instance, if your Reynold Jeffrey marrying in 1620 cannot be found in a christening about 25-35 years earlier in his home parish or surrounding parishes, consider trying to see if you might find a man named Reynold, with a father named Jeffrey as a given name and a different surname. It is a tricky proceedure, but can be very rewarding when you make that elusive connection!
