Thank you for your reply.....I know from doing genealogy for a long time that all names have variations. I did not know Rootsweb was keeping them seperated on the email lists. I had not noted a RAYNER email list.....I will have to check then. I joined here because I did know of the RAYNOR surname on LI and being the RAYNER bros may have come into NY Port and stayed awhile in the area while awaiting citizenship. Who knows at this point they have been recorded as RAYNOR and not as my father-in-law insists as RAYNER, thus being why I cannot find them anywhere, so that is why I joined the RAYNOR list to check all paths of research. Thanks, Happy Trails, Joan Also, visit my 4 personal home pages on spirituality and genealogy: http://www.geocities.com/crystalwoman_2000/ crystalwoman@in-tch.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Karima" <quest@springnet1.com> To: <RAYNOR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000 11:38 AM Subject: [RAYNOR] The RAYNOR Sunmane - variant spellings > Good morning! > > Regarding the variations of the spelling of the name. > > The following is an explanation by Gerald Van Sise Raynor, Raynor Family > Genealogist (Edward Raynor Branch), as to the various spellings of the > name: > > "Do not put much stock into signature spelling variations. I have many > old documents from 1761 – 1825, etc. In the same family, you might find > RANER, RYENER, REYNOR, and RAINER. If the signer could not write his > name, then the scribe used his own judgment. I've even seen RHEGNIER". > Robert, our first known family member signed his will REYNERE. That is > the only time I have ever seen an "e" on the end. > > "In general, though, RAINER and REYNER show up in early documents. By > the time the Revolutionary War was over the spelling that was most often > used was RAYNOR or sometimes RAYNER." > ====================================================== > > I have tried to convince RootsWeb to combine the different spellings of > this name into one list, but apparently there is disagreement as to the > "Correct" way to spell our surname and since no one will agree, they > intend to keep the lists separate. > > My best advice would be to join all of the variant lists, since I cannot > combine them. > > Hope this helps, > > Karima > mailto:quest@springnet1.com > =========================================== > THE RAYNOR FAMILY WEB SITE > http://userweb.springnet1.com/quest/Raynor.htm > > List Administrator of: > RAYNOR Surname Discussion List (RAYNOR-L > http://userweb.springnet1.com/quest/RaynorListWelcome.htm > > GRAMMER Surname Discussion List (GRAMMER-L) > http://userweb.springnet1.com/quest/GrammerMailingListWelcome.htm > > Jackson County, Illinois Discussion List (ILJACKSO-L) > http://userweb.springnet1.com/quest/JacksonCoWelcome.htm > > > ==== RAYNOR Mailing List ==== > Visit the RAYNOR Family Web Site at: > http://userweb.springnet1.com/quest/Raynor.htm > If you would like to submit information on your RAYNOR ancestors to be included on this site, > please contact Karima at mailto:quest@springnet1.com > > ============================== > The RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > 12.8 million individuals and counting. > http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/