Anyone researching this FRAZIER family of Fraziers Bottom, Putnam County, West Virginia? ================================================== Sam & Ann FRAZIER and their three Scotch-Irish sons, Sam, Robert and Billy, migrated from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (Tinkling Springs, Augusta County), in the year 1800 or 1801, to the bottom land along the Kanawha River, now know as Fraziers Bottom. A fourth son, Allen was born shortly after they arrived in November 1801. They bought their land from the heirs of George Washington. Sam & Ann supposedly had a few daughters, but their names and proof of such is all unknown. ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Putnam Democrat, Friday, August 1, 1958, page 10 T h e P u t n a m C o u r t H o u s e S t o r y . . . "Among the first settlers in the Teays Valley District were: Allen Reece, Richard McCallister, George B. Bentley, Bennett Barrister, Samuel Frazier, Robert Frazier, William Frazier, Robert M. Hall, William A. Alexander, Hugh McGuire, Samuel McGuire, Alexander Handley, Samuel Handley, James Gillespie, and Thomas Garey." compiler's note: The three Fraziers mentioned above would seem to be three of the four sons of Sam & Ann Frazier. The mention of Robert Frazier as a settler is most likely an error as no further information on him, nor any of his descendants, has ever been found. It has been theorized that he either returned to the Shenandoah Valley, settled in Nicholas County, or even possibly in the Cross Lanes area or most likely, died young. Also, the fourth son of Sam & Ann Frazier, Allen, has a long list of descendants in the Putnam County area, and he is omitted from the above settlers. Possibly, the author of the above history has these two Fraziers mixed up (or could it be that Robert & Allen are the same?). ========================================== Richie in Nitro, West Virginia ==========================================

In a message dated 11/9/2000 7:22:50 AM Pacific Standard Time, hhooper@wa-net.com writes: << Ginny, Andrew's obit stated that he was born "near Quebec, Canada in 1811 and moved to NY as a small boy, settling in Ithaca. Does this mean anything to you? What confuses me is the comment "Near Quebec". SO is that NY or Canada. Could be either and as a result his birth remains hidden. His obit says born near Quebec. 1850 census says Ireland, then one says NY and then back to Ireland etc. Thanks, Harold >> Harold, there are veritable mobs of FRASERs in Quebec, and maybe that was your Frazier ancestor's background. (I won't give all the spellings in this note, but as we've been discussing they varied from one generation and from one family to another.) "Near Quebec" makes good sense to me, as the reference would be to Quebec City - not to the province. My family of FRAZERs seems to have settled (3 or 4 generations) in Beaumont, a town on the St. Lawrence very near Quebec City and perhaps now an actual part of it. You will find it on the south side of the river, a little to the east. My FRAZER family appears to have arrived before 1708 or at least around that time. Many more FRAZERs came with the 78th Highlanders in 1759. As noted in other messages, many stayed. And yes (keep that map out) - New York is just across the border (in places, the St. Lawrence River) and many PQ (Province of Quebec) families moved there - also into Maine and New Hampshire. Ithaca NY makes good sense and should be a good place to research, as it was a prosperous town from early days, I think. I don't know what Ireland would have to do with any FRAZER family, as this is not an Irish name. (ref - Surnames of Ireland, MacLysaght) Plenty of Scots did settle in Ireland during the plantation days (1570-1700), but I think not many from Fraser-country on the north-eastern coast of Scotland. Will have to look this up. I'll send my FRASER line so far as is known in another note. Maybe we can find a connection! Ginny Crawford

In a message dated 11/9/2000 7:22:50 AM Pacific Standard Time, hhooper@wa-net.com writes: << My great great grandfather, Andrew Frasier (family spelling for three generations) was listed on four census reports that I have found and they are Frazier, Frasier, and Frazer. >>> Oooh, those census enumerators! They were independent spellers, all right. The fact that the name was not spelled in the way the family seems to have preferred may mean that the enumerators did not find the family at home and had to depend on neighbors for information. That in turn would mean that the information recorded is even more unreliable than the usual census stuff. More anon, Ginny

In a message dated 11/9/2000 7:22:50 AM Pacific Standard Time, hhooper@wa-net.com writes: << it was recorded wrong in the beginning?????? So just because a name was recorded a certain way 4 or 500 years ago does not guarantee that it is the correct one. >> No, no, Harold - my whole point is that there was NO one correct way to spell any name until well into the 1800s. Even after that, phonetic mis-spellings are found where the name was written by someone to whom it was unfamiliar. I'll write in another note about Quebec - so interesting! Cheers, Ginny

In a message dated 11/8/2000 10:39:57 PM Pacific Standard Time, cfadlam@ionet.net writes: << Capt.Simon Fraser, who was a fiddler who compiled a collection of Scottish Highland tunes into a music book for fiddler's and gives a great deal of history of each tune, in which he speaks of his father, John "being with Wollf *? when he fell at Quebec", he never speaks of his father's return OR death! He just sort of "fades away" (as MacArthur put it!:) >> Carleen = SIMON is a very much used first name for FRASERs, at least those in Quebec. Try putting "Simon Fraser" as a search word into Google.com - and you will get more than you ever wanted on this combo of names. So many of the 78th Highlanders stayed in Canada after the French & Indian war that the FRASER name is well known there still. Carleen also wrote: <<< Interesting that someone else is wondering about Quebec and "turning coat" too! >>> Not sure what is meant by this reference. "Turned coat" because they stayed in Quebec? But the Brits won the battle and the war and thereafter "owned" Canada, so it was reasonable for the British soldiers to stay. In fact, I think that those soldiers who would do so were given land and a bonus of some kind since it saved the regiment from having to ship them back home. Best to all, Ginny Crawford

FRASURE was used by Isaiah Frasure who was an early county clerk of Hocking Co., Ohio. Records for the family from then on have used that spelling. I don't have much on them before they arrived in Ohio, but the father of this group, was married in Virginia as Presley FRAZIER. Doris, California

Thought I'd share his with the list ... thought someone would be interested. Some of it applies to all FRAZIERs; some of it specifically to the Putnam County, West Virginia FRAZIERs. If anyone is researching the FRAZIERs of Putnam Co.,West Virginia, I'd love to hear from you! Richie in Nitro, West Virginia - -------------------------------------------------- FRAZIERS BOTTOM -- An Historical Account According to the “New Dictionary of American Family Names, by Elsdon C. Smith, published in 1973, Frazier, Frazer, Fraizer, Fraser, Frasier, rasher - all are variations of Frazier, q.v. Frazier is Scotch-Irish and means “one who came from Friesland, a Frisian”. Frase, Fraze (French) means “one who raised and sold strawberries”. In the book, “Dictionary of Given Names, With Origins and Meanings”, by Flora Haines Loughead, copyrighted 1974, Frazer, Fraser is old French for “Curly Headed”. I guess then, that we can assume Frazier means “A curly headed, strawberry merchant who came from Friesland”. (a little humor here...) This is kinda contradictory though, as Friesland is “A region of Northern Europe on the North Sea between the Scheldt and Weser Rivers”. The Frisians, a Germanic people, were conquered by the Franks in the eighth century. The Frisian Islands are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. The East Frisian Islands and most of the North Frisian Islands are part of Germany; the other North Frisians are Danish. The West Germanic language of the Frisians is the language most closely related to english. - --------------------------------------------- The Vandalia Journal, Chapter 13, Historical Bus Tour of the Lower Kanawha Valley, by William D. Wintz, page 5 Stop (11) - The town of Fraziers Bottom is said to have been named for four brothers who came down the river on a flatboat about 1798. Family tradition says that one of the Frazier brothers was lost overboard during the night and the others landed here to look for him. When the missing brother could not be found, the remaining three decided to stay and settle in the area. - ---------------------------------------------- In the book, “West Virginia Place Names, Their Origins and Meanings”, by Hamill, Kenny, copyright 1945: FRAZIERS BOTTOM A h. and p.o. on the Kanawha R., Teays Valley D., Putnam Co. GGWVa 1904, p.58; post village. NDA 1933. It appears that during the Taft administration (1909 - 1913) the name of this place for a short time was Ruby. The present name was given “sometime before 1850”, and is from the surname of the several families of “Frazier” who settled here then. (Mr. W.H. Miller, the post master (1936), on the authority of C.D. Holloway). - --------------------------------------------- The above would seem to be true as verified by: The Putnam Democrat, Friday, July 14, 1911 Personals “The name of the Fraziers Bottom post office has been changed to Ruby, the name of a 12 year old daughter of the postmaster H.F. Jordan.” Although the postmaster may have changed the name to Ruby, the local Putnam County residents evidently didn’t take to the new name, and continued to call it Fraziers Bottom as evidenced by comments such as these in “The Putnam Democrat”: November 12, 1913 “The civil service examination which took place at Fraziers Bottom Saturday was attended by only one applicant, W.S. Rece. We say Fraziers Bottom because it is, always has been, and always will be, Fraziers Bottom. Our hand, postmaster Rece.” January 16, 1914 “Postmaster Merchant William S. Rece, of Fraziers Bottom -- that’s what it is, was in Winfield yesterday on business. We serve notice on the citizens down there right now that “Ruby” post office will be changed to Fraziers Bottom post office as there is more mail goes to the old address than to the new. Every body knows the place as Fraziers Bottom, and we will see that the people down there get what justly belongs to them and what they desire.” January 30, 1914 “The name of Ruby will in a short time be supplanted by Fraziers Bottom. We told you so. Why was it ever changed?” So ... I guess the name of “Ruby” was short-lived, about two and one-half years per the newspaper account. But, I guess that Ruby Jordan can say that she did, indeed, have a post office named in her honor! - -------------------------------------------- The Putnam Democrat, Friday, October 29, 1954, page 4 FRAZIERS BOTTOM residents hear that two 70-acre tracts and a 150-acre parcel already are under option -- and one of the owners is said to have reported that the option to his acreage was exercised at $500 an acre. Information current at Winfield this week was to the effect that properties of T.W. Vaughn (150 acres) and James and Carmen Frazier (70 acres each) already are under option. It is known, too, that the old Alexander farm -- about 379 acres formerly owned by the late Judge A.S. Alexander, and now owned by Charles W. Caldwell, Dunbar attorney, and his father, C.M. Caldwell of Dunbar -- is additional acreage sought by Thomas and his associates, presumably for the Olin - Mathieson combine. JUST HOW MUCH of the approximately 2,500 acres of Fraziers Bottom -- a six-mile-long stretch between Big Hurricane Creek and Five-and-Twenty Mile Creek -- is to be procured is not known. The land involved is four miles west of Winfield, most of it situated between W.Va. Rt. 17 and the Kanawha River. The old Alexander farm, now owned by the Caldwells, has a stretch of approximately one and a quarter miles of foothills and level bottomland at the deepest point between the hills to the south and the river bank to the north. Property owners in the area were agreed that Thomas and his associates “mean business” in seeking the options, the concensus of the folks being that the agents have made “as many as 50 trips” into the community in their quest for options. - -------------------------------------------------- Putnam Democrat, Friday, November 18, 1955, page 4 F r a z i e r s B o t t o m O p t i o n s R e p o r t e d l y B e i n g D r o p p e d By James W. Harris In Charleston Gazette A national business magazine of the chemical process industries published a comment in its Nov. 12 edition that Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. “is reported to be favoring an industrial location in the Fraziers Bottom section of Putnam County (W.Va.) ... as home of its long contemplated aluminum plant.”. The magazine -- Chemical Week -- stated that the “reason for the desirability of Putnam County” is “the direct Kanawha River link with nearby Fayette and Kanawha County coal mines.” The Gazette has confirmed, however, that options taken between August, 1954 and March of this year on Fraziers Bottom properties expired progressively between May and August of this year. Those options, picked up by a Huntington agent, were believed to have been in the interest of the Olin Mathieson Corp. One Fraziers Bottom property owner whose land was one of the parcels optioned -- until the option on it expired last May -- said last week that “it looks like Olin Mathieson may have shifted its interest from Fraziers Bottom to some other industrial site.” He reminded that an Associated Press story from Wheeling last Tuesday fixed Cresap, Marshall County, as the most probable site for the location of a multi-million dollar Olin Mathieson Corp. aluminum plant. The same source called attention to the fact that the coal interests associated with the Cresap development are the Pittsburgh Consolidated Coal Co. and its subsidiary, the Hanna Coal Co. of St. Clairsville, Ohio. The Fraziers Bottom landowner who advised The Gazette that the options on property in that community have expired remarked, however, that he is “optimistic that new interest will be manifested in Fraziers Bottom for industrial purposes -- because it affords extensive well-situated acreage well above flood level, yet in close proximity to the Kanawha River.” He said that he and other property owners of the Fraziers Bottom community whom he represents have not been reapproached about renewing options, but he remarked that he understood one, possibly two others have received recent inquiries as to whether or not they will grant new options at the same price as those that expired. The informant said he did not know the source of the rumored recent option inquiries, or in behalf of what interest or interests they were made. In any event, the Fraziers Bottom informant said he hopes that the Olin Mathieson and related developments “will at least end up in West irginia -- if not in the Kanawha Valley -- so that the state’s economy and revenues will get another shot in the arm.” - -------------------------------------------- Putnam Democrat, February 19, 1976, page 2 F r a z i e r s B o t t o m B i c e n t e n n i a l C o m m u n i t y Fraziers Bottom (unincorporated) has made application to the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission to become an official bicentennial community. During a meeting held Sunday, February 1, a group of citizens organized a committee and a motion was passed stating that Fraziers Bottom should make the application. Officers were elected and several projects were discussed and adopted. Elected officers are: Chairman: Jim Frazier, Vice Chairman: Geraldine Young, Secretary: Kathy Akers, Treasurer: Calvin Akers, Reporter: Shirley Keeling, and Photographer: Frank Crist. The next meeting will be held Sunday, February 15, 2:00 p.m. at the Fraziers Bottom Church of God. Projects will be discussed and project leaders will be appointed. All interested citizens are urged to attend. - ----------------------------------- Richie in Nitro, West Virginia

Check out my site, Maybe you can help me find James Frazier! http://members.tripod.com/~James_Combs/Frazier.html Please check it out. also the family links. Shirley Combs, "searching for the sly Jamie in the Heather"!

I'm assuming that any Frazier sound alike would be checked or referenced in this list. I can't say for sure that the Frazer I'm looking for is spelled correctly. I hope that's what everyone else is assuming. Dennis ---------- >From: VCrawf@aol.com >To: FRAZIER-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [FRAZIER] FRAZIER - FRAZER - FRASER >Date: Wed, Nov 8, 2000, 3:47 PM > > >Frazer people - please help me out on this, as I am new to this list. Is >the FRAZIER list the same as the FRAZER list??? If not, why not? As >family historians, we know that most of the surname spellngs we find result >from someone who does NOT bear the name writing it down in one record or >another. As we know - spelling was NOT our ancestors' long suit; >Shakespeare himself spelled his own name five different ways. > >I have seen stated as the first rule of genealogists: don't sweat the >spelling! > >Many of our ancestors had limited, or no, ability to read and write for >themselves. Even if they did, they were more often speaking their names to >others to write down than writing themselves - when married, when a death >took place, etc. As a result, names were reproduced phonetically by the >clerks, etc., who took them down - and those who physically wrote the names >may have been disinterested, hearing-impaired, or not very literate >themselves. > >The whole story of the development of surnames plays into this - for a long >time people had no second names at all - then only certain people did, who >needed to be identified with specificity - then it was seen that second names >were useful and most people began to have them - but for another long span of >time there was no one right way to spell each name; people did not consider >it important. The preferred spelling of each name probably took several >generations to establish itself. Till then, the spellings were all over the >map. Other aspects of life played a part - as when a bearer of name >derived from language A went to live in a country where language B was >spoken: e.g., think Scots settling in New France in the early 1700s. > >Will someone let me know the prevalent tone or sentiment of this list >community on the above? > >I have FRASER/FRAZER/FRAZIER family to ask about, but will defer for a few >days. > >Cheers to all, and thank you. > >Ginny Crawford >California USA >VCrawf@aol.com > > >

Yes, this list covers all those variations. Gloria Frazier List Manager At 04:47 PM 11/8/2000 -0500, you wrote: >Frazer people - please help me out on this, as I am new to this >list. Is >the FRAZIER list the same as the FRAZER list??? If not, why >not? As >family historians, we know that most of the surname spellngs we >find result >from someone who does NOT bear the name writing it down in one >record or >another. As we know - spelling was NOT our ancestors' long suit; >Shakespeare himself spelled his own name five different ways. > >I have seen stated as the first rule of genealogists: don't sweat >the >spelling! > >Many of our ancestors had limited, or no, ability to read and >write for >themselves. Even if they did, they were more often speaking >their names to >others to write down than writing themselves - when married, when >a death >took place, etc. As a result, names were reproduced phonetically >by the >clerks, etc., who took them down - and those who physically wrote >the names >may have been disinterested, hearing-impaired, or not very literate >themselves. > >The whole story of the development of surnames plays into this - >for a long >time people had no second names at all - then only certain people >did, who >needed to be identified with specificity - then it was seen that >second names >were useful and most people began to have them - but for another >long span of >time there was no one right way to spell each name; people did not >consider >it important. The preferred spelling of each name probably took >several >generations to establish itself. Till then, the spellings were >all over the >map. Other aspects of life played a part - as when a bearer of >name >derived from language A went to live in a country where language B >was >spoken: e.g., think Scots settling in New France in the early 1700s. > >Will someone let me know the prevalent tone or sentiment of this list >community on the above? > >I have FRASER/FRAZER/FRAZIER family to ask about, but will defer >for a few >days. > >Cheers to all, and thank you. > >Ginny Crawford >California USA >VCrawf@aol.com > >

In a message dated 11/8/2000 9:51:48 PM Pacific Standard Time, dentondc@juno.com writes: << FRASURE was used by Isaiah Frasure who was an early county clerk of Hocking Co., Ohio. Records for the family from then on have used that spelling. I don't have much on them before they arrived in Ohio, but the father of this group, was married in Virginia as Presley FRAZIER. Doris, California >> What a great example of what we've been talking about! Thanks for writing, Doris. Ginny also in California

In a message dated 11/8/2000 8:36:39 PM Pacific Standard Time, aj481@lafn.org writes: << My Frazers came directly from Scotland to Charleston. >> Thanks for your response, Jordan. My gang was in Quebec from the early 1700s - one migrated to Illinois in 1851 and became my gggrandparent. I had wondered if my emigrant FRASER was one of the 78th Highlanders who fought at Quebec in 1759, but apparently not as there is no question my Fraser family was already living in Quebec (Beaumont) from 1708 onward and I believe the 78th consisted of all native-born Scots (mostly FRASERs). Cheers! Ginny Crawford

In a message dated 11/8/2000 8:23:02 PM Pacific Standard Time, glofra@earthlink.net writes: << Yes, this list covers all those variations. Gloria Frazier List Manager >> Many thanks, Gloria - glad to hear from you. Ginny

In a message dated 11/8/2000 8:07:42 PM Pacific Standard Time, 1whitedove@home.com writes: << Ginny, This is the only Frazer(and variations) list that I was aware off. One of the emails mentioned Fraser Clan List but is that not a web site of it's own. Meaning not through same server. Lillian >> Hello, Lily and all. Here's the reason I questioned the number of lists: the following appears on the Rootsweb List of Lists ~~~~ [quote] FRASER. A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Fraser surname and variations in any place and at any time. To subscribe send "subscribe" to fraser-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or fraser-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode). FRASIER. A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Frasier surname and variations in any place and at any time. To subscribe send "subscribe" to frasier-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or frasier-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode). <snip> FRAZER. A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Frazer surname and variations in any place and at any time. To subscribe send "subscribe" to frazer-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or frazer-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode). FRAZIER. A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Frazier surname and variations (e.g., Frasier, Frazer, Fraser) in any place and at any time. To subscribe send "subscribe" to frazier-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or frazier-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode). [unquote] Do you think all these lists exist, or do they feed into each other???? Ginny

<A HREF="mailto:cfadlam@ionet.net">cfadlam@ionet.net</A> wrote: <<<Yeah, I've always wondered why one would want ANOTHER list when, no matter how we spell it, we're all Fraziers;) Carleen Frazier-Adlam >>>> Thanks, Carleen - I'm glad I'm not alone in wondering. Ginny

In a message dated 11/8/2000 7:42:02 PM Pacific Standard Time, 1whitedove@home.com writes: << Although until recently didn't realize that all these versions did in fact stem from that FRASER (Scotland early 1500's- i think) that came from some strange French version F????? Not sure off hand how it was spelt so thought I wouldn't even try. >> Hi again, Lily. Yep - "FRAISE" is the French word for strawberry. A nice thought for the derivation of our name! Ginny

In a message dated 11/8/2000 5:28:18 PM Pacific Standard Time, Jeannie.Frazier@worldnet.att.net writes: << 've seen the Frazier spelled "Phaser/Frashure/Frazier/Frazer/Frazzell" and so on and so forth. It was written phonetically as you stated and written by clerks or custom officers that spelled it as they heard it pronounced. Someone with an "Irish lilt" or a "Scotch brough" pronounced it differently enough that all sorts of spelling were taken on. I think this list is for those who have the last name that sounds like one of these verious spellings and it doesn't really matter at all. By the way, Frazier is derived from the french word for "Strawberry". >> Thanks, Jeannie! I love the "strawberry" connection, don't you? If we ever have a reunion, we can have "Strawberry Fields Forever" as one of the clan songs. Thanks for your note - appreciated. As you know, I agree that the spelling doesn't matter - but I am still wondering why there is another list??? Clearly, THIS one has many knowledgeable listers in attendance. Clan Fraser of Canada does have a big webpage set-up, I think - haven't been there in a while. I can find the URL if needed - but I bet many on this list already have it. Cheers, Ginny Crawford

In a message dated 11/8/2000 3:11:45 PM Pacific Standard Time, aj481@worldnet.att.net writes: << I have been on the list for about a year, and the list seems to be about as close as you can get to a Frazer list. There are occasional Frazer messages, but I have never found anything relating to my portion of the tribe. Patience required, I suppose. Jordan Burkart Los Angeles >> Hi, Jordan. Were your people from Quebec? Ginny

In a message dated 11/8/2000 2:40:25 PM Pacific Standard Time, 1whitedove@home.com writes: << According to what I found out on the FRAZER is that all of the variations Frazier,Frazer andFraser began sometime before 1049 if I remember correctly in France as Fraselle or something like that. I am replying from memory so the spelling is probably off<grn> They migrated to Scotland where the name became FRASER then to Ireland FRAZER and to America FRAZIER This is the general idea. They are all one in the same name. Not all the surnames changed just some. That's to add some more confusion to our hunting. The list is for all these Surnames - At least that is my understanding. If you do a name surname search on Rootsweb for Frazer there should be a link to a surname page that gives the history of it. >> Thanks, Lily! I am familiar with the history of FRAZER/FRASER as a surname - that's what makes it all the more interesting to view the variations. All surnames, from the noblest to the most humble, were subject to the phonetic process - although some presented fewer problems, I should think (Smith and Jones?). But I think that this: "They migrated to Scotland where the name became FRASER then to Ireland FRAZER and to America FRAZIER" - is more legend than factual. This bespeaks too structured a naming custom - and the opposite was true - names were fluid and changed according to the speakers and those listening till around the end of the 1900s, when spelling generally became standardized. You still find people who will tell you that names beginning with Mc are Irish and those with Mac are Scottish. Wrong. Just rendered on paper in different ways. My Irish name is EGAN. People interested in that name used to say that the EGAN spelling was Irish, while EAGEN was used for those who had emigrated to the US. Also - wrong. Just the way it was written down. My first FRAZER ancestor that I know of was noted as "de Ecosse" in Quebec in 1708. At the same time, he is given as having been born in Quebec, not Scotland. The names of his sons and grandsons are also FRAZER - then they go to FRASER and pretty much stay there. A few times, the name is spelled FRAZIER. But my question really was - why are there two lists for the same name? To anyone commenting: I hope you will send your notes to the whole list so we can have a real discussion on these variants. Thank you! Cheers! Ginny Crawford California USA VCrawf@aol.com

In a message dated 11/8/2000 2:17:58 PM Pacific Standard Time, JRB6886 writes: << It is true that there are a lot of different spellings for the same surname. And yes, this is because some members of the family could not read or write. My line, however, was very intelligent. This would be a good time for the rest of you to correct your spelling to FRASER. >> Hurray for Jeff - I love this! Actually, that's the spelling most often met in my family, too. It's GOTTA be right. <grin> Ginny Crawford