Excellent analysis.
Leslie Cassidy
NYC
-----Original Message-----
From: Tenc(a)aol.com [mailto:Tenc@aol.com]
Sent: July 13, 1999 6:53 AM
To: CASSIDY-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CASSIDY-L] spelling variations
In a message dated 7/12/99 10:52:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mobo(a)accessus.net writes:
<< Same goes for CASSADY - I wish I could discover what lead to the
different
spellings. >>
My East Tennessee grandmother spelled her name Casada and pronounced it
"Cassidy". Family who went to Iowa in 1840's apparently retained
pronunciation; spelling there is now Casaday or variations thereof. Folks
who
went to Michigan in early 1900's spell it Cassada and say "Cass Uh Duh".
Only
one generation removed from the East Tennessee folks, they are real
surprised
to hear the "correct" spelling.
You read all kinds of dramatic and involved stories about "why Uncle Jim
changed the spelling" - I think that even those who could read and write in
the 19th century didn't think the spelling was that important. And of course
just because it is spelled a certain why by a census taker in 1870, doesn't
mean anyone else ever spelled it that way.
Here's something I've read & it seems to hold up: when you find deeds,
wills, etc in the courthouse, what you are finding is a copy of the original
made by a clerk. He also copies the signatures at the bottom That's why you
find that little drawing that says "seal", the original had the seal. The
name within the document may be spelled however this clerk, or the one who
wrote the original deed, thinks it should be spelled. The signature or
signatures should have been copied exactly as they appeared on the original
and are thus the way your ancestor spelled his name. That day, at least.
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