I was pleased to see this question raised because it caused me a lot of problems when I began researching, thinking that they were distinct names. After working through several generations of Wood/Woods and seeing the name switching to and fro, even for the same individuals in different records, I eventually came to the conclusion that they were totally interchangeable until there was widespread literacy. What we sometimes forget is that many or most of our ancestors pre-1880 or thereabouts could not read and write, and so the spelling you see in the document was what the person writing it heard: our illiterate ancestor was not looking over the writer's shoulder and saying "That's Woods with an S". Imagine hearing these answers to the question "What is your name?" "Henry Wood". "Henry Wood, sir". I'll be interested to read further comments. Walter King Totnes, Devon, England ----- Original Message ----- From: <LWA101@aol.com> To: <WOODS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 3:49 PM Subject: [WOODS-L] Wood or Woods > Does anyone know how Wood got to be Woods? Do tell! Thanx. Laura in NC

That is about the best explanation I have ever heard. Knowing different degrees of education and cultures, ie pronunciation, etc, it makes very good sense to me. I grew up here in NM where you have to have a pretty good ear for differences in language variations or you will never figure out what some names are without seeing them written. Anna Brown Roswell,NM USA Walter King wrote: > > I was pleased to see this question raised because it caused me a lot of > problems when I began researching, thinking that they were distinct names. > After working through several generations of Wood/Woods and seeing the name > switching to and fro, even for the same individuals in different records, I > eventually came to the conclusion that they were totally interchangeable > until there was widespread literacy. What we sometimes forget is that many > or most of our ancestors pre-1880 or thereabouts could not read and write, > and so the spelling you see in the document was what the person writing it > heard: our illiterate ancestor was not looking over the writer's shoulder > and saying "That's Woods with an S". > Imagine hearing these answers to the question "What is your name?" > > "Henry Wood". > "Henry Wood, sir". > > I'll be interested to read further comments. > > Walter King > Totnes, Devon, England > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <LWA101@aol.com> > To: <WOODS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 3:49 PM > Subject: [WOODS-L] Wood or Woods > > > Does anyone know how Wood got to be Woods? Do tell! Thanx. Laura in NC > > ==== WOODS Mailing List ==== > No part of these messages nor the archives file containing them may be published > or redistributed in any form by a "FOR PROFIT" or commercial organization. All > publication requires the permission of each message author. -- Anna Brown - NMGENWEB Coordinator for Roosevelt County. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nmroosev/