Laura ... it's the Sherlock Holmes-ian aspects of this work that really get you thinking! In New Scotland (Nova Scotia, Canada) I have a large number of ancestors on several family lines who were given middle names from local politicians, church people, business men and neighbours. Oh yes, and some great grandparents too. This happened so often that it can be used to connect some branches of the families together. So then this may be a recognizable "alternate" Scots naming convention. Get over it <grin>! Regards - Glen C. Bodie Web http://Bodie.CA Home mailto:glen@glenbodie.com or mailto:Glen.Bodie@gmail.com Cell mailto:TyTN@Bodie.ca (no attachments) Snail Mail: 76 Strathcona Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4J 1G8 -----Original Message----- Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:59 -0600 From: "Ron and Laura Bozzay" <rbozzay@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr To: aberdeen@rootsweb.com <snip> Perhaps the family had a friend named Cordiner. I have not found ancestry under Kerr or his mother, the Coplands to tie into the Cordiner family. His grandparents were Kerr and Mackie, Copland and Cheyne. Great grandparents were Kerr and unknown so possible Cordiner, Mackie and Grieg, Coopland and Green, Cheyne and Henderson. I was hoping someone would come back with a Kerr Cordiner liaison that made sense to this line. I have been trying to get it more filled out like the rest of my lines. Thanks for the reply. Sometimes you have to a detective on the level of Sherlock Holmes to make sense out of the clues they leave you! In the Penny line I found that a business partner of the father was used as the middle name for his first son. Talk about not following naming conventions! <snip> Laura (who has Scottish and French root as well as German and Swiss)