Cliff, We have found EXACTLY the same situation with the middle names, and very commonly. We "lost" a sibling always referred to in Port Chester as Madison, and finally found him in Perth Amboy NJ as James M. In Perth Amboy we never saw the name Madison, and in Port Chester never James. But in a Port Chester sibling's obit we saw that Madison lived in Perth Amboy, and the NJ death certificate showed the correct parents. We have seen both men and women moving back and forth from middle to first names through their lives in the 1800's. This is interesting because at some point it died out. It's not uncommon to see someone called by their middle name, usually to avoid confusion with the father, but that appellation is usually stable and becomes "their name" these days. The other thing we have found is naming after prominent public figures, such as the James Madison above. We searched for years for a Newell in our family because a great-aunt was named Harriett Newell. Come to find out Harriett Newell was an early 1800's young missionary to Asia, who died out there at a young age, about 19 or so, and became a sort of inspirational example, and many girls were named Harriett Newell So-and-So. Holly, East Bangor, PA

My Great grandfather was named George Washington Smith, his brother William Henry Harrison Smith, and my neighbor's great grandfather (same generation) was named Benjamin Franklin MacDonald. Maureen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mert & Holly Kilpatrick" <kilpatrk@epix.net> To: <nywestch@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 7:38 AM Subject: Re: [NYWESTCH] Middle names > Cliff, > > We have found EXACTLY the same situation with the middle names, and very > commonly. We "lost" a sibling always referred to in Port Chester as > Madison, and finally found him in Perth Amboy NJ as James M. In Perth > Amboy > we never saw the name Madison, and in Port Chester never James. But in a > Port Chester sibling's obit we saw that Madison lived in Perth Amboy, and > the NJ death certificate showed the correct parents. > > We have seen both men and women moving back and forth from middle to first > names through their lives in the 1800's. This is interesting because at > some point it died out. It's not uncommon to see someone called by their > middle name, usually to avoid confusion with the father, but that > appellation is usually stable and becomes "their name" these days. > > The other thing we have found is naming after prominent public figures, > such > as the James Madison above. We searched for years for a Newell in our > family because a great-aunt was named Harriett Newell. Come to find out > Harriett Newell was an early 1800's young missionary to Asia, who died out > there at a young age, about 19 or so, and became a sort of inspirational > example, and many girls were named Harriett Newell So-and-So. > > Holly, > East Bangor, PA > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message