Singhals wrote: > A man is described in a parish register as being a fischer. I have > been assuming he fished (as in, caught fish to fry for dinner) and > sold 'em to make a living. > > However ... I've spent two days both on-line and in the brick > library (which needs better maps!) trying to find a river in his > vicinity and came up -- er, dry. (Wish I could find that tourist > map of Germany I had.) > > Is there something *else* the word fischer might have meant in the > 18th century? I'm no expert on naming practices, but it is possible that as far back as the 18th century, surnames could no longer be taken literally, just as they aren't today. As we know, Karen CARPENTER never swung a hammer. -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=- Webmaster: Cynthia Van Ness, MLS -- roots@bfn.org Roots: The Buffalo NY Genealogy Forum -- http://www.bfn.org/~roots With obits, vital records, city directories & hundreds of local links