What's the mystery about spelling variations? People were illiterate. Maybe the priest presiding over the baptism could read but couldn't spell. The misspellings then perpetuated themselves. This has been demonstrated in the past century. In Canada, eastern European immigrants took the spelling the immigration officer gave them on being admitted entry. It was all a question of phonics. Different family members sometimes had different spellings, because different immigration officers had to commit to writing an orally pronounced name. That's clearly how multiple spellings of names happen. Charles Phelan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jann" <townefabric@rural-net.com> To: <PHELAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 3:52 AM Subject: Re: [Phelan] Re: The Spelling of Phelan > Another "county" heard from. My G Grandfather was Martin Whalen but he was > also known as O'Phalen. oral history says that he and Grandma Ellen Powers > Whalen offered a lady a ride in their buggy and she said "you are the > O'Phalen's? and put her leg right in thier clock they were taking to have > fixed. the glass is still broke on the front is still broke Jann Whalen > Parks > Please check Remus Free Summer Music Program at www.remusmusic.org > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Donna Lien" <dlien@theboss.net> > To: <PHELAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2001 3:38 PM > Subject: [Phelan] Re: The Spelling of Phelan > > > > Hello All, > > > > Just a word of advice for all you Phelan/Phalen/Whelan etc. researchers > > out there -- do not discount the variant spellings of this last name. I > > was quite surprised when I read what my g-grandfather, Philip PHALEN, > > put down on his marriage certificate for his parents names -- Michael > > and Catherine PHELAN. When Philip came to North America, he was listed > > on the ship's list as Philip PHELAN but after that, he was always called > > Philip PHALEN. In other words, we Phelans likely ARE all related!! > > > > Donna (Phalen) Lien > > > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > > Irish Proverb: A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one > swig. > > > > ============================== > > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 > > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > Irish toast: May the Lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist too tight on you. > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > >

Not a mystery but a little hard to find people when the last name could be different than what you think it might be. I am looking for John, my ggrandfather's brother who lived in Perry N.C. Perry is no more and the only Whalen's that I found in that area I can't write to because I don't have a "box" number, just a street address. Maybe John wasn't a Whalen, maybe he was a O'Phelan,or a Phelan or a Phalen, I know my g-g-grand parent's name, John and Mary but what was their last name in County Waterford Ireland, That is the real mystery. Jann WHALEN Parks Please check Remus Free Summer Music Program at www.remusmusic.org ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Phelan" <cchuckles@home.com> To: <PHELAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 4:45 AM Subject: Re: [Phelan] Re: The Spelling of Phelan > What's the mystery about spelling variations? People were illiterate. Maybe > the priest presiding over the baptism could read but couldn't spell. The > misspellings then perpetuated themselves. This has been demonstrated in the > past century. In Canada, eastern European immigrants took the spelling the > immigration officer gave them on being admitted entry. It was all a question > of phonics. Different family members sometimes had different spellings, > because different immigration officers had to commit to writing an orally > pronounced name. That's clearly how multiple spellings of names happen. > Charles Phelan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jann" <townefabric@rural-net.com> > To: <PHELAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 3:52 AM > Subject: Re: [Phelan] Re: The Spelling of Phelan > > > > Another "county" heard from. My G Grandfather was Martin Whalen but he > was > > also known as O'Phalen. oral history says that he and Grandma Ellen Powers > > Whalen offered a lady a ride in their buggy and she said "you are the > > O'Phalen's? and put her leg right in thier clock they were taking to have > > fixed. the glass is still broke on the front is still broke Jann Whalen > > Parks > > Please check Remus Free Summer Music Program at www.remusmusic.org > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Donna Lien" <dlien@theboss.net> > > To: <PHELAN-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2001 3:38 PM > > Subject: [Phelan] Re: The Spelling of Phelan > > > > > > > Hello All, > > > > > > Just a word of advice for all you Phelan/Phalen/Whelan etc. researchers > > > out there -- do not discount the variant spellings of this last name. I > > > was quite surprised when I read what my g-grandfather, Philip PHALEN, > > > put down on his marriage certificate for his parents names -- Michael > > > and Catherine PHELAN. When Philip came to North America, he was listed > > > on the ship's list as Philip PHELAN but after that, he was always called > > > Philip PHALEN. In other words, we Phelans likely ARE all related!! > > > > > > Donna (Phalen) Lien > > > > > > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > > > Irish Proverb: A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one > > swig. > > > > > > ============================== > > > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > > > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 > > > > > > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > > Irish toast: May the Lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist > too tight on you. > > > > ============================== > > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > > > > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > Irish Proverb: Men are like bagpipes: no sound comes from them till they're full. > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB >