This discussion brings to mind several of my Winston ancestors, William 'Essex' Winston, Jr.(1703-1781), William James Winston (ca. 1686 - 1727), and William 'Langaloo' Winston (1668-1726), as well as Rebecca Geddes Bobby Winston (1701-1779). Apparently "Essex" was not part of William Winston's actual birth name, but was an appellation applied to him to distinguish him from other William Winstons living around the same time and area. One sees this appellation in brackets, ie: (Essex) following his name in other documents such as his indenture to Cornelius Dabney. I have speculated that these particular 'second names' may have been chosen based on where these individuals lived or administered property. This line has been very confusing for me because of all the 'Williams', and I am not very certain of the the ascendant order beyond my 4th great Grandfather, Geddes Winston (1731-1794) who was married to Mary Jordan. I believe that William 'Essex' Winston was Geddes' father whose wife was Rebecca Geddes Bobby , and this same William 'Essex' was also the son of William James Winston . Beyond that the ascendancy grows murky for me, though I have speculated that William 'Langaloo' MIGHT be the father of William James. I do not know why William 'Langaloo' Winston acquired this distinction, but presumably it is for the same reason - as an identifier - as the 'Langaloo' portion usually has been seen either in quotes or in parentheses. Rebecca Geddes Bobby Winston's second names seem more clear cut, as those were her family names. Note that all the life dates are in the 1600's and 1700's. Charlotte Geier > Subject: > Re: [VAROOTS] Re: middle names > From: > "Paul Drake" <pauldrake@charter.net> > Date: > Mon, 18 Jul 2005 18:39:32 -0500 > To: > VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com > > To: > VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com > > >Thanks, Fred. What you have said is surely true. To set the record straight since M. N. seems to be the subject of some measure of criticism for her list, she is a fine and thorough researcher (and a blind copy of this is going to her) suggested those names as evidentiary of the use of middle names, she was not offering that list as proof positive of anything about any line. Rather, she was suggesting that those multiples that appeared in her own records might be illustrative of the practice. > >I think the matter may be summed as you have done, and also by saying simply that reliable sources should be sought out for any and all names, be those 2, 3 or 10 in number. So, the need for accuracy in all things genealogical should include searches concerning all such multiple names, since one may find revealed nicknames, baptismal names, names used or assigned informally to differentiate one person from another, maiden names carried forward by choice to identify or to please an ancestor, middle names given boys to honor their predecessors, or names simply assumed by the "owner" - the person wearing those symbols. > >Finally, there are myriad examples, though a small percentage still, that serve to illustrate that the Europeans and Scandinavians often assigned mid names before it was considered fashionable by those who came here. Paul > > >