I have come across Minny or Minnie as a variant for Marion in the past, so it may well be them, even if she was referred to as Marion on other documents. It does seem to be the case that parish registers sometimes used informal variants of names, while civil registration indexes were more likely to use formal versions (though not invariably). Perhaps Marion started insisting on formality more as she grew older! Catherine > > I haven't found a marriage entry for James BELL and Marion CAMPBELL. > I have seen the marriage listed > in the OPR for James BELL and Minny CAMPBELL in 1812. While it seems > unlikely to be them, the fact > that it indicates that Minny Campbell's father, James, was a > labourer in Dunbar and James and > Marion's daughter, Mary, was born in Dunbar is just a little too > coincidental for me to rule it out > completely. It should be noted though that every conclusive document > that I have, Marion is never > referred to by any other name than Marion. >

Good morning Catherine, In the fishing villages along Firth of Forth , this is my personal research area, the names MARION & MAY were interchangeable . Still have a near 90 year old distant relative christened MARION but has always been known as MAY and we also know her as " Auntie MAIRN " Not a real aunt but in Newhaven we as children referred to an older lady as "Auntie" Regards John John D. Stevenson Edinburgh >I have come across Minny or Minnie as a variant for Marion in the > past, so it may well be them, even if she was referred to as Marion on > other documents. > It does seem to be the case that parish registers sometimes used > informal variants of names, while civil registration indexes were more > likely to use formal versions (though not invariably). > Perhaps Marion started insisting on formality more as she grew older! > > Catherine > >> >> I haven't found a marriage entry for James BELL and Marion CAMPBELL. >> I have seen the marriage listed >> in the OPR for James BELL and Minny CAMPBELL in 1812. While it seems >> unlikely to be them, the fact >> that it indicates that Minny Campbell's father, James, was a >> labourer in Dunbar and James and >> Marion's daughter, Mary, was born in Dunbar is just a little too >> coincidental for me to rule it out >> completely. It should be noted though that every conclusive document >> that I have, Marion is never >> referred to by any other name than Marion. >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I waiver between whether that marriage entry is them or not. So far I haven't been able to find any proof that my James Bell was in the military so that is part of my problem. Jacquie -----Original Message----- From: midlothian-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:midlothian-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Catherine Fitchett Sent: October 28, 2009 2:23 AM To: midlothian@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MIDLOTHIAN] BELL/CAMPBELL I have come across Minny or Minnie as a variant for Marion in the past, so it may well be them, even if she was referred to as Marion on other documents. It does seem to be the case that parish registers sometimes used informal variants of names, while civil registration indexes were more likely to use formal versions (though not invariably). Perhaps Marion started insisting on formality more as she grew older! Catherine