Hi List, I am researching the Macdonald side of my family tree and have come across an strange first name in the baptism records taken from the Finlaggan site. This states that Hammy Macdonald was registered as a son of Donald Macdonald ,1829 Hammy MacDonald was born on the 10th January a son of Donald MacDonald and Marion Clarke, Kilchoman. The 1841 Census registers Hamy McDonald aged 11, farm servant and living with Donald McFayden and resident on the Farm of Grobolls. House Schedule No. Killarrow 6/7/2 but states that this is a female person. Having found no other trace of this Hammy I wondered if anyone on the list knows if this is a short version of Hamilton or Hamish or could it be a female name ! All suggestions gratefully received. Dona Findlay

Hi Dona: When I transcribed the name of the 11 year old below in the 1841 census I read it as Kamy McDonald. I just went back and looked at the census page and still think that it is Kamy. The transcription of the OPR that I have lists the birth as that of a daughter with the name Hammy. I do not have access to the original OPR for Kilchoman. Ted Larson Dona Findlay wrote: > Hi List, > > I am researching the Macdonald side of my family tree and have come > across an strange first name in the baptism records taken from the > Finlaggan site. > This states that Hammy Macdonald was registered as a son of Donald > Macdonald ,1829 Hammy MacDonald was born on the 10th January a son of > Donald MacDonald and Marion Clarke, Kilchoman. > > The 1841 Census registers Hamy McDonald aged 11, farm servant and > living with Donald McFayden and resident on the Farm of Grobolls. > House Schedule No. Killarrow 6/7/2 but states that this is a female > person. > > Having found no other trace of this Hammy I wondered if anyone on the > list knows if this is a short version of Hamilton or Hamish or could > it be a female name ! > > All suggestions gratefully received. > > > Dona Findlay > > > > ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== > To visit the website associated with this project, visit: > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/data.htm > > > . >

Hi Ted, Having looked at some few thousand of these now, I agree that distinguishing between H and K in the 1841 Census can be very difficult. If you'd like another opinion on this one, I'd be happy to oblige. All the best Jim Baird FreeCEN Coordinator for Renfrewshire renfrewcensus@hotmail.com www.freewebs.com/renfrewcensus YOU can make a difference! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ted Larson" <tlarson@usfamily.net> To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 8:39 PM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Unusual Forenames > Hi Dona: > When I transcribed the name of the 11 year old below in the 1841 census I > read it as Kamy McDonald. I just went back and looked at the census page > and still think that it is Kamy. The transcription of the OPR that I have > lists the birth as that of a daughter with the name Hammy. I do not have > access to the original OPR for Kilchoman. > Ted Larson > > Dona Findlay wrote: > >> Hi List, >> >> I am researching the Macdonald side of my family tree and have come >> across an strange first name in the baptism records taken from the >> Finlaggan site. >> This states that Hammy Macdonald was registered as a son of Donald >> Macdonald ,1829 Hammy MacDonald was born on the 10th January a son of >> Donald MacDonald and Marion Clarke, Kilchoman. >> >> The 1841 Census registers Hamy McDonald aged 11, farm servant and living >> with Donald McFayden and resident on the Farm of Grobolls. House >> Schedule No. Killarrow 6/7/2 but states that this is a female person. >> >> Having found no other trace of this Hammy I wondered if anyone on the >> list knows if this is a short version of Hamilton or Hamish or could it >> be a female name ! >> >> All suggestions gratefully received. >> >> >> Dona Findlay >> >> >> >> ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== >> To visit the website associated with this project, visit: >> http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/data.htm >> >> >> . >> > > ______________________________

Hello Dona, Hammy is not a common name in Scotland but it's not unusual either. In my experience it has always been a contraction of Hamish (James) although it would not surprise me for it to be used in place of Hamilton. I would put my money on Hamish! Iain