I don't believe many people intentionally changed their names back in the 1700's. At least for those from my research, various clerics were the culprits, whether for military, courthouse, census, etc. records. Many/most people were illiterate and some of the clerics, especially census-takers, weren't much better, or at least not well educated. People often didn't even know how their name 'should' be spelled, or at least how their name should 'look' when written on paper -- and of course the hand-writing of various clerics also varied significantly. Entire books, or at least chapters of books, have been written to help family researchers of today to interpret the mannerisms of early hand-writings. A cleric in early days simply spelled names the way they thought they heard them being pronounced, or the way they had seen others write a name that sounded similar. Collick is apparently an English surname while of course the 'Mc' would mean it was Scottish or Scotch-Irish, and there weren't nearly as many immigrants coming directly from Scotland during the 1700's as there were Scotch-Irish from Ulster in Northern Ireland. As late as the 1850's in Greene Co. IN, my ggg-f was recorded as both McDaniel and McDonald in the 'same' courthouse land transfer document, and he was literate based on family info and record of a letter he wrote. I have found _M'Dan'l_ in one record and _M. Daniel_ in another so it wouldn't have taken much more for an 'Mc' to be dropped. The various clerics were apparently free to spell as they wished in early times when spelling was not standardized. People didn't care much about spelling of words, even those who were educated. One of our early presidents, I don't recall which one now, once said that he couldn't really trust a man who always spelled a word the same, apparently meaning the man was likely too rigid in his thinking, or maybe 'too uppity' as my grandmother used to say. Neil McDonald ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rebecca Lucas" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:04 PM Subject: Re: [WVPENDLE] Re: Buffalo Run area (McDonald) > I just wanted to mention that Colic Mountain was named for the Collett > family that lived on that mountain untill they moved to Randolph Co. around > 1800. It is interesting that Thomas Collett went by the name Thomas Collick > on old census's and in the naming of this mountain. I have often wondered > why. He is a brick wall that as far as I know, no one has cracked. Perhaps > Collick and Collett are interchangeable in an "Old English" way, I just > don't know. I sure would like to figure him out. Someone once told me that > his name is listed on a payroll as Thomas McCollick, which adds another > confusion!! > Becky > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "macbd1" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:41 PM > Subject: [WVPENDLE] Re: Buffalo Run area (McDonald) > > > > Hello Koren-Fae and all on this list, > > > > I hope my map info may have helped a little. Only a short distance from > > Buffalo Hills Road, across Colic Mountain to its east, is Rt. 220 and the > > South Branch of the Potomac River which parallel BH Road. Route 220 may > > follow an old bridle path my ancestor or his family took back in the > > 1740's-1750's when he/they settled the area. Can anyone tell me about the > > history of this road prior to it being Route 220, or about the oldest > roads > > of Pendleton County? > > > > My ancestor, Valentine McDonald (McDaniel/McDonnel were later spelling > > variants by various clerics), was born 11 Jan 1760 on the South Branch of > > the Potomac River, Virginia, per his Revolutionary War pension > application, > > "as told to me by my parents." His father, Joseph, apparently came there > in > > the 1740's-1750's, I haven't been able to learn much more about his early > > life except that he was likely Scotch-Irish. He moved his family from > > Virginia when Valentine was "quite young" to old-Baltimore County, > Maryland, > > and thence to what was then Westmoreland County in southwestern > Pennsylvania > > sometime between 1773-1777, the latter date being when Valentine first > > served in the Rev War from that county, at age 17. (They are later found > in > > the Fayette Co. PA area that was developed from Westmoreland in 1783.) > The > > entire family migrated via flatboat down the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers > to > > Mason Co. KY in the fall of 1790, with Valentine moving his family across > > the Ohio River into Northwest Territory in 1796. > > > > So, at this point, I can only imagine what the lives of my ancestral > family > > were like in early Virginia (West Virginia) times. I suspect Joseph may > > have moved his family from Virginia during the incursions of Chief > Pontiac's > > 'Rebellion' of 1763-64, after surviving defense of the area during the > > French & Indian War. > > > > Does anyone possibly have information about a Joseph McDonald during the > > 1750's-1760's? I don't know his wife's name. Or, does anyone know of > 'any' > > McDaniel-McDonald records from those early times, as many settlers > migrated > > with their families? > > > > Thanks for any help that you may be able to provide. > > > > Neil McDonald > > [email protected]

I'm really glad you mentioned M Daniel/M Donald. I've been searching for a missing McDonald in Barbour/Tucker/? Cnty for quite a while, and and hadn't thought of that spelling. Thanks, Jackie > -----Original Message----- > From: macbd1 [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 9:51 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [WVPENDLE] Re: Buffalo Run area (McDonald)(McCullick) > > > I don't believe many people intentionally changed their names back in the > 1700's. At least for those from my research, various clerics were the > culprits, whether for military, courthouse, census, etc. records. > Many/most > people were illiterate and some of the clerics, especially census-takers, > weren't much better, or at least not well educated. People often didn't > even know how their name 'should' be spelled, or at least how their name > should 'look' when written on paper -- and of course the hand-writing of > various clerics also varied significantly. Entire books, or at least > chapters of books, have been written to help family researchers > of today to > interpret the mannerisms of early hand-writings. A cleric in early days > simply spelled names the way they thought they heard them being > pronounced, > or the way they had seen others write a name that sounded > similar. Collick > is apparently an English surname while of course the 'Mc' would > mean it was > Scottish or Scotch-Irish, and there weren't nearly as many > immigrants coming > directly from Scotland during the 1700's as there were Scotch-Irish from > Ulster in Northern Ireland. > > As late as the 1850's in Greene Co. IN, my ggg-f was recorded as both > McDaniel and McDonald in the 'same' courthouse land transfer document, and > he was literate based on family info and record of a letter he wrote. I > have found _M'Dan'l_ in one record and _M. Daniel_ in another so > it wouldn't > have taken much more for an 'Mc' to be dropped. The various clerics were > apparently free to spell as they wished in early times when > spelling was not > standardized. People didn't care much about spelling of words, even those > who were educated. One of our early presidents, I don't recall which one > now, once said that he couldn't really trust a man who always > spelled a word > the same, apparently meaning the man was likely too rigid in his thinking, > or maybe 'too uppity' as my grandmother used to say. > > Neil McDonald > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rebecca Lucas" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:04 PM > Subject: Re: [WVPENDLE] Re: Buffalo Run area (McDonald) > > > > I just wanted to mention that Colic Mountain was named for the Collett > > family that lived on that mountain untill they moved to Randolph Co. > around > > 1800. It is interesting that Thomas Collett went by the name Thomas > Collick > > on old census's and in the naming of this mountain. I have > often wondered > > why. He is a brick wall that as far as I know, no one has cracked. > Perhaps > > Collick and Collett are interchangeable in an "Old English" way, I just > > don't know. I sure would like to figure him out. Someone once > told me that > > his name is listed on a payroll as Thomas McCollick, which adds another > > confusion!! > > Becky > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "macbd1" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:41 PM > > Subject: [WVPENDLE] Re: Buffalo Run area (McDonald) > > > > > > > Hello Koren-Fae and all on this list, > > > > > > I hope my map info may have helped a little. Only a short > distance from > > > Buffalo Hills Road, across Colic Mountain to its east, is Rt. 220 and > the > > > South Branch of the Potomac River which parallel BH Road. > Route 220 may > > > follow an old bridle path my ancestor or his family took back in the > > > 1740's-1750's when he/they settled the area. Can anyone tell me about > the > > > history of this road prior to it being Route 220, or about the oldest > > roads > > > of Pendleton County? > > > > > > My ancestor, Valentine McDonald (McDaniel/McDonnel were later spelling > > > variants by various clerics), was born 11 Jan 1760 on the South Branch > of > > > the Potomac River, Virginia, per his Revolutionary War pension > > application, > > > "as told to me by my parents." His father, Joseph, apparently came > there > > in > > > the 1740's-1750's, I haven't been able to learn much more about his > early > > > life except that he was likely Scotch-Irish. He moved his family from > > > Virginia when Valentine was "quite young" to old-Baltimore County, > > Maryland, > > > and thence to what was then Westmoreland County in southwestern > > Pennsylvania > > > sometime between 1773-1777, the latter date being when Valentine first > > > served in the Rev War from that county, at age 17. (They are later > found > > in > > > the Fayette Co. PA area that was developed from Westmoreland in 1783.) > > The > > > entire family migrated via flatboat down the Monongahela and > Ohio Rivers > > to > > > Mason Co. KY in the fall of 1790, with Valentine moving his family > across > > > the Ohio River into Northwest Territory in 1796. > > > > > > So, at this point, I can only imagine what the lives of my ancestral > > family > > > were like in early Virginia (West Virginia) times. I suspect > Joseph may > > > have moved his family from Virginia during the incursions of Chief > > Pontiac's > > > 'Rebellion' of 1763-64, after surviving defense of the area during the > > > French & Indian War. > > > > > > Does anyone possibly have information about a Joseph McDonald > during the > > > 1750's-1760's? I don't know his wife's name. Or, does anyone know of > > 'any' > > > McDaniel-McDonald records from those early times, as many settlers > > migrated > > > with their families? > > > > > > Thanks for any help that you may be able to provide. > > > > > > Neil McDonald > > > [email protected] > > > > ==== WVPENDLE Mailing List ==== > Genealogy without documentation is mythology! >