Is the “alternate” spelling of your ancestor’s name a clue to how it was pronounced? Sometimes wrong spellings are simply wrong. Other times an incorrect spelling can be a clue to how the name was pronounced by your ancestor.
The flip side of this is that if you know how your ancestor likely said his name, you can think of additional alternate spellings.
There may be a reason DeMoss was spelled Demoise.
Or was it Demorse?
Either are clues.
4 Responses
Can someone tell me the date of the record? I see a possible link to my family with the names Patterson and Custer.
I have never done any Maryland research on these families but will look into doing so. The date would help narrow my area of research.
Thank you
Between 1789 and 1802—probably closer to 1789. There is a link here on the Maryland State Archives website.
The name identified as DeMop written by the attorney’s clerk for the old father of the DeMoss clan is actually the ancient way of writing double S. The first S is written like an elongated F in front of the 2nd S. You will also see this in the next sentence…”I hereby assign (the 2nd S is just a wee squiggle) & make
over….” Note that the 1st F-like S goes up like we write an F but when it goes below the line it swings backward like a G, crosses over itself and ends with that slight hump or squiggle…that’s the 2nd S.
You are exactly right, Carole. Thanks for the commentary on the different way the “s”is made when it’s doubled. I’ve lost track how of how many times “DeMoss” gets transcribed as “DeMop.” Those unfamiliar with the handwriting assume that two of the letter “s” written together should look like two individual writings of the letter “s,” which it clearly does not.