This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: AnnetteCode Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.ireland.lex.general/2803.2.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I don't think it is because they didn't care if they spelled their names right. It usually depended on whether or not they could write. I probably have said so already but have read memorial inscriptions on gravestones that have three different spellings of the same family. Since it say erected to the memory of and references to children and parents you can tell its one family. Perhaps another reason would be the stone carver may not have been literate either. In my husband's family the name went from Codd to Code in Canada. The indigenous irish were treated as third class citizens at best - similer to the black slaves of America. Good history books give accurate accounts of the times as even movies don't cut it. I have a 1830 list of tenants from the Fitzwilliam Estate in Wicklow of 1500 names and it comes with many X for names. They were not allowed to vote, put children in schools etc.That is where the name hedge schools came from. FW was a different landlord and not only built schools for both religions he built separate churches. In the Lewis Topograpical Dictionary of 1837, the Establish church was Protestant - which is quite bizarre. I belong to an Irish History Society that is lobbying the goverment for free access to records. They don't like that the County governments took the grants from the government to establish these genealogy offices and turned it into a money making program. The original intent was to develop roots tourism which really only meant free for those who went to Ireland which would still be impossible for some. The Auditor General did a report on the subject and suggested the materials be given to local libraries with no fee to research. This group are also lobbying for early release of the 1921 census, but most people are searching from overseas for much earlier emigrants. Lets just hope Ancestry don't buy them all out and the only way you can get them is a year subscription for $300 . They would be that accessible either. They have recently acquired the Tithe records (not in their entirety)from the National Archives. Cheaper than a flight to Ireland but also impossible for some. If you are interested in the above society's take on things I can scan and email the front page article. Annette Code Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.