Ahhhhhhhh. So this is why my dad always called his grandfather, "Wenceslas" Instead of Vaclav, and that's probably what was shortened to Wencil. Thanks for the info, Joan. This may be an old email,but John never throws anything away AHHAHAHAHA HAPPY EASTER! Joan Peterson wrote: > In the Chicago Catholic Churches I find the change to James, and other > names Americanized, appearing about 1914/15. I have found baptism > records which state Vaclav on one bapt and Wences on another. > > St Wenceslaus Church used the term "Wenceslaus" almost exclusively for > Vaclav and interchanging was a normal procedure of the scribe as many > scribes wrote in the record books through the years. > > Some surnames changed from baptism to baptism with a few letters or in > some cases where the scribe wrote the "new" name in parens above the > other--similar to the original but simplified. It is interesting. > > Joan Smart Peterson > > > > ==== CZECH Mailing List ==== > Please do not repost the whole digest when replying to mail. > >