Thank you all for your comments regarding my maiden name challenge. It's very nice to know I'm not alone on this type of problem....37 different spellings - oh my, BJ! You must deserve the fortitude award by now! Robin, I have not found her in the 1881 or 1891 Census - only 1901. So, still looking. FreeCen doesn't give me any hits, but then again, it didn't give me hits for ones that I have in hand, so I'm a bit confused on that one! If anyone has other suggestions for sources for these Census, I'd appreciate it. Between not having a clear physical location for Mary McNalley/McNally/McInally in 1881 and 1891, I've burned up a lot of credits on scotlandspeople.gov and have nothing. Yes, being a novice IS expensive :) Thanks Eleanor, I'll just keep track on the variations and move on! It sounds like the birth cert that matches her parents first names and her mother's maiden is my best bet and now I'll have to substantiate it somehow. Happy New Year to all, Allison > > >Yes this is normal .... >Have you found her with family in the 1881 Census ... And again in 1891 > > >Robin > > >--> >Do not worry about the spelling as it was not important in those days just >look at all the variations. >Regards >Eleanor Robertson > >> >I'm up to 37 spellings of my mother's maiden name..... and 43 of one of my >brick wall names (spelled Batchelder on the woman's marriage record). To >give this a Midlothian connection, you don't want to know how many ways >McGee (MacGee, McGhie, Magee, and so on....) was spelled in various >mid/late >19th century Edinburgh records. So three different spellings is nothing! >Just makes the hunt more interesting ;-) > >If you want ideas for searching in NY, email me off-list and I'll try to >help. > >BJ > > >