Colin Liddell wrote
My question is; how do I handle the different spellings of his surname?
Do I make the assumption that the birth spelling is correct and just
use that in all instances or should I put in the Marriage notes the
spelling used there and in the Birth notes the spelling used there or
is there a better way.
You should always record the exact spelling used in each document, so
the Source for the Marriage should indicate the spelling used on the
document you are citing for that, the Source for Birth should indicate
the spelling used on the document you are citing for that and so on.
As for which spelling you use as the "main" name, I generally use the
one found in the Birth documentation unless this varies from "the norm"
for that family. For example, one of my main lines is Bloor and because
of the local pronunciation was sometimes recorded as Blower. In one
instance, one child of a Bloor family has been registered as Blower: I
record this fact but still use Bloor as his main name.
I know some people would record all the spelling variations as AKAs but
personally I do not. I take AKA - Also Known As - literally and use it
when a person is actually known by a different name at some point in
their life, like for example a person adopting a professional or stage
name or a child taking on the surname of their stepfather. I consider
these spelling variations to be precisely that, spelling variations, not
different names by which the person was known. In earlier times
spelling was much more fluid but the basic name was still the same name.
--
Jenny M Benson
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