Tom: In reading your roster entry, I find that you and I have something in common other than Behymers. I too will be eligible for AARP, however, I have a few months to go (Dec)! Planning a big bash to celebrate (commiserate?) the event. John Charles Tippet JohnDoeTippet@csi.com ---------- > From: Tom Robison <tcrobi@adamswells.com> > To: BEHYMER-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: Spelling > Date: Tuesday, September 29, 1998 7:51 PM > > Marion wrote: > > >A lot of the different names could be the older ways of spelling were more > >like approximations than our 20th century ways. Remember, people were a lot > >less schooled. They also had fewer reference books. People probably then, as > >now, went by different versions of their birth name, according to what they > >liked. > > All true, of course, but I suspect a primary reason for the differences in > spelling was simply laziness or ignorance of public recorders. > > Imagine the conversation: > > Recorder: What's your last name? > > Mr. B/P: "Beckelshymer" (or Bechtelhymer or Pickleshimer or whatever) > > Recorder: How do you spell that? > > [Bear in mind here that Mr. B/P, though fairly well-educated, may not be > sure how to spell his native name in English] > > Mr. B/P, in a HEAVY German or Dutch accent, begins to spell... > "B...E...C...H...etc., etc. > > Can you really blame the recorder if he simply writes down "B'Himer" [or > "P'Simer" or whatever] and calls "Next!" > > Even the difference between Bechelshymer and Pickleshimer could be > explained by a careless or tired or lazy recorder, listening (perhaps for > the umpteenth time that day) to a heavy German accent that prounounces 'B' > as 'P' and 'W' as 'V', 'D' as 'T', etc. I can understand how, when > listening to a non-Anglo accent, that one might think Picklehimer when the > speaker said Beckelhymer. > > I still hold to the theory that the original family who came to these > shores had just the one name, whatever it was. It was only after submitting > to the vagaries of public servants (well-meaning though they may be) that > the variations began to be seen. > > There may have been some intentional variations or truncations along the > way, but I can't believe that the family was so fragmented that they had to > develop 60-70 different spellings of the name, just to be unique. > > We all belong to the same family, sez I! Would 'twere that we could > accurately determine the original spelling. > > Just my $0.02, and now I'm broke! > > Tom Robison (Robinson, Roberson, Robyson, Robbinson, Robertson, Robeson, etc.) > > Tom Robison > Ossian, Indiana > tcrobi@adamswells.com > > Never forget the importance of history. To know nothing of > what happened before you took your place on earth, > is to remain a child forever. [unknown] > > >