Jacqui Simkins wrote: > The real mystery in my research has been a family with two sons > baptised "William". Before you all shout...BOTH reached adult > hood, both married and spawned more Williams!! The only conclusion > I could draw was that the elder trotted off to make his way in the > world in mid-teens, and parents needed someone around to call > Will...they had an enormous brood!! What most likely happened was that the elder William was very ill and not expected to live when his mother had her next son, so he was called William. When the elder William survived after all, the family had two sons living named William. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk

That is certainly a thought but a while back there was discussion on one list of a family in circa 1750 who had five sons, all named William and three lived to marry and have a family of their own Perhaps the parents really liked the name <g> or perhaps it was a bet :-) Or they had a really rich relative named William ? <vbg> Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) > What most likely happened was that the elder William was very ill and > not expected to live when his mother had her next son, so he was > called William. When the elder William survived after all, the family > had two sons living named William. > > -- > Charani (UK)