Hi,
I guess this could beAnglicise all Welsh etc. surnames?
Lorna nee Rees
Dudley, W. Mid
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melanie Tucker" <melanieptucker(a)yahoo.com>
To: <BlaenauGwent-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 2:40 AM
Subject: [Bla'Gwent] English government changing spelling of surnames??
Hello all,
One of my relatives gave me the following explanation for the variation in
spelling
of our Rees/Rhys surname. He spoke of the British government
requiring people to change the spelling of their surnames and "the
government's desire to analyze all Welsh, Scottish, and Irish surnames."
I'm not sure what this refers to either. I had never heard this before, so
I was wondering if anyone could offer some insight? If this was true, does
anyone have information about specific dates when this came about?
Please see below for my uncle's explanation to me.
Thanks,
Melanie Tucker
"You are absolutely correct to find that the family name of "Rhys" was
changed to "Rees" in all record-keeping, archives, and genealogy, after
about 1865. This was in keeping with the British government's desire to
analyze all Welsh, Scottish, and Irish surnames. Of course, this idea was
not popular with the general population, but if you wanted a government job,
or worked in any way with British affairs, you had to comply with the
government order. My Grandfather, Richard, was a bit of a rebel, from what
I understand, and though he changed the spelling for public records, he made
it clear to his children that they were "Rhys" family members, and some
changed the spelling back to Rhys before they went back to England."
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