As Linda said spelling before 1900 is very inconsistent, and my spelling still stinks. I have two McNeil families. Both have been found in various documents as McNeil and MacNeil. One is Methodist they other Catholic; both have Scottish ties. My grandmother use MacAree with 'ac' as small by the top of the 'M' on her marrgiage license; though every other doc has McAree. I have a Byrnes spelled: Burnes, Burns, Buyrnes, and Byrnes, which is the spelling it finally settled on. I have an Rorke that has been spelled: Rork, Rorke, Ruark, Rourk, and Rourke. All by the way with and without the 'O.' My Pattisons spelled their Pattison but many documents use Patterson, Patison, and Paterson - they didn't do spelling. The there is Margaret Abbott Pattison; who with her daughter Margaret suddenly changed their names to Frances around 1880. The nice part is now I know why my grandmother was named Frances. ____________________________________ "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Mark Twain