Anna Marie, sjhayes wrote: > > Charlie: Could you understand the spelling of Aufpan if you said it out > loud? "Auf..." says "off" and "...pan" might really have been "...par". > Therefore you would have "Offpar". I don't think it is too far fetched to > think the recorder of the Churchhill data could have miss understood a > handwriting and read "pan" in stead of "par", do you? > This sounds very reasonable, and is basically what another list member said in a direct e-mail from California. > And along these lines what is your thinking about the spelling in Natchez > for HOFFPAUIR as HOFFPAVER and HASPOWER? It seems in land records of 1806 > Thomas signed his name HOFFPAUIR and it appears in several places. He was > very inventive to come up with a name like this out of the blue. Looks like > he could have chosen a name that other could spell correctly and the same > with out fail, don't you think? Why wouldn't he just start calling himself > Thomas Huff? Would that have been easier. Hey, Thomas; why didn't you do > that? > I'm not really surprised by any spelling I find, since I find so may different spellings even in "modern" times. The SSDI has our name spelled (or mis-spelled) as Hoffower Hoffpantr Hoffpanir Hoffpavir Hoffpouir Hoffpowier Hoffrauir Huffpower > Or, do you think it could be HOFFELBAUER? There were two HOFFELBAUERs who > came to PA in 1748 from Rotterdam. There might be a possibility that > Thomas was a descendant of one of these two. It might explain the > connection to Marie Charlotte PERRILLARD too, since PA is a lot closer in > proximity to Quebec. Any thought? > Now this is a story that I had not heard before. I find this very interesting, and certainly worth spending some time looking into. The timing is about right... do you have a ship or any other data on these two Hoffelbauers? And thanks for the comments.... I really think you're right.... if he would have made the name up, why didn't he choose something much more easily written, the equivalent of Smith or Jones? > Just thought I would put me two cents in and stop lurking :o) Sure wish we > could solve this "mystery of the man from under a rock". > I think that Felton's phrase will find itself into the family history now. I intend to insert it in my description of Thomas when I update his web page. <vbg> > Sincerely, > Anna Marie Hayes > -- Charlie