Yes, I follow (& agree altho, again, no authority). The next step, should it ever present itself, may clear up the "mystery" in an instant. On the "Coatney"/Courtney example, you may not be giving those Colonials due credit. I'd wager (no risk, since we cannot prove it) a pretty penny that "Coatney" was exactly the way they pronounced it in general conversation. :-) Joe Lake > Remember that spelling was an exercise in creativity, and apparently people > wrote what they thought they heard, not necessarily what was correct. > This is why I have a woman whose name is spelled "Coatny", even though her > name was Courtney. It is also why a manumitted slave, Manuel Vinson, is > listed as Manure Vinson somewhere or other that I do not recall at this moment. > No one could spell, few could write, and those who could do neither had no > idea how their names were being mangled. It is also why my 2g gf is shown > as "Gorg" Vincent, gender "mail" on his 1892 death certificate. And I > would bet that the funeral director thought he was literate! > > Elizabeth > > > In a message dated 7/16/2010 7:11:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > Elizabeth .... I have both a copy of the original handwritten document of > the 1741 > will and a 1926 typewritten transcripton copy. In the typed copy the > transcriber > (Clara R. Duffel) first typed it as "Senot" and then changed it to a "T", > for > "Tenot". > > Comparing the handwritten original to a handwriting example sheet (showing > the > generally used handwritten forms for the individual letters of the > alphabet in the > Colonial period) and in comparing the name "Tenot" to decipherable words, > beginning > with a "T", in other portions of the original document, it appears "T" is > the > probably the correct call (altho no handwriting expert I). > > Having said that, Jenet/Janet makes more sense that "Tenot" and Tennant. > Whichever > it is, beyond the above I've not found a further situation requiring me to > make a > choice. Unfortunately. > > Thanks, Joe Lake > > > >> Is it possible that there is a spelling error or something, and the name >> should have been Jenet/Janet? >> >> Elizabeth >> >> >> In a message dated 7/16/2010 5:49:32 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >> [email protected] writes: >> >> @ 441PM Janet Hunter wrote..... >> >> >>> Such as where does the middle/given name "Tenant" (var spellings) >> amongst the >>> Bowens come in? My Seth Whaley and Elizabeth Richards Bowen, and >> others have >>> given that to one of their sons. >>> >>> My best, >>> >>> Janet Hunter >> >> To the best of my knowledge I have no connection to the Bowen string, of >> which the >> above paragraph was a part. >> >> The spouse of Samuel Hopkins, a primary interest of mine, had a spouse >> whose given >> name was spelled "Tenot" in his 1741 Sussex Co. DE will. The only >> connection I have >> ever been able to concjecture for that spelling of her given name was >> "Tenant". >> However I never found a "Tenant" surname connection to support my >> conjecture. Maybe >> there's a better conjecture :-) >> >> Where DID the name come from in the above reference, and where did the >> Tenants >> (surname) live in the period (roughly) c1680-1710? >> >> Thanks for any fill in, if available. >> >> Joe Lake