Hi Carol, By 1788 it would have been English, the name you are thinking of is Nankervis which used to also be spelled Nekervis. Another possibility is a now defunct surname Nanscorus. A Cornish accent would sound quite different to Welsh ears, despite actual Cornish being readily understandable by a Welsh speaker. Indeed accents vary throughout Cornwall, Wales & the UK in general, so that an outsider to a given area will sound quite different from the local populace, and as such mistakes were the norm, especially as most were unable to write their name and spelling conventions had yet to be unified. I believe Welsh surnames also have nans as a prefix. It means the same thing in Cornish & Welsh, valley. I have seen English clerks make some really strange surnames out of Cornish surnames in parish registers. Jim > It as passed my mind also,Nekerwis Is another I believe. > I am wondering! would a cornish man have spoken Cornish or English, and how > would it be pronounced, or sound to a Welshman. > Thanks for the suggestion. > Carol