Hullo Beverley and Janice, These name changes have created headaches for me too. There is one thing that I have wondered about. Whenever I have been looking at passenger lists or the BDM I have found the surname MULLER or Müller, rarely MUELLER yet my mother who was a second generation Australian wrote her surname as MUELLER as well asthe other versions on her music books. I expected to find MUELLER in the German records. Has anyone any explanation? Thank you, Wendy ---------- >From: "Beverly" <pussims@cableONE.net> >To: AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: Name changes >Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 7:25 PM > >Janice, not only were there name changes, there was a shift in religious >affiliation. This was done to appear more Anglicised and to "fit in" a >little better. >The name changes and religious shift happened in my own family. They used >to be strict lutheran, but now we have just about every denomination >imaginable in our family. Seems like once they broke with the Lutheran >faith, then it turned into a free for all. >I also think that with the passing of the first generation immigrants the >strong influence to retain everything that was German (culture, language, >food, heirarchy, allegance etc.) was watered down or just completely lost. >Religion has caused lots of arguments. >Name changes have given us genealogical searchers headaches. >Makes me wish they left a paper trail for us to follow rather than having to >try to rectify one fact with another to put the family together. >cheers, Beverly. >Life on Earth is Expensive, but at least >you get a free trip around the sun....... >So wear a hat and enjoy the ride! > > > >============================== >Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp >