Author Topic: Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?  (Read 2968 times)

Offline Griffl

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Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?
« on: Friday 01 August 14 23:33 BST (UK) »
Hi all,
I'm just wondering if it was common place in Carmarthenshire for a man to change his surname from Griffith to Griffiths within his lifetime...
As it seems thats just what my direct paternal ancestor did or perhaps how other recorded the surname...

My ancestor Benjamin Griffith born Llangain 1803ish recorded his name as Griffith on marriage and children's baptisms,1841 census but it seems as he aged he used Griffiths with an S instead...

Do you think this might have just been how it was recorded by others or infact some sort of link to patronymics? Where as the S would perhaps mean "son of" or such things...

I have also seen this with another Carmarthenshire family of mine where as Edmund was changed to Edmunds...

Thanks:)

Online BumbleB

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Re: Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 02 August 14 07:11 BST (UK) »
I don't think that this is peculiar to Carmarthenshire, but would depend more on whether your man was literate or not!  When he married, did he actually sign the register?  The other instances you mention- baptisms and census returns - will have been written by other people, and are open to their interpretation of the surname.  I think we also have to bear in mind that spelling was not quite so rigid in earlier times.
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Offline GR2

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Re: Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 02 August 14 07:34 BST (UK) »
In earlier documents we usually have another person writing the name, not the individual himself. It depends on what the writer has heard or the spelling he usually uses. Even when we get the name written by the person himself, it may not be consistent. I have come across a man spelling his own name Melville and Melvin within the same document. Johnston/Johnstone/Johnson are often used variably and I have come across the name Imlay/Imlah/Imlach all appearing on the same gravestone.

Offline Regorian

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Re: Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 02 August 14 10:29 BST (UK) »
As I understand it, Griffith is the anglicised version of Gruffyd (various spellings) as first name and Griffiths as surname. May well be alternative explanations.

With the masses being illiterate/inarticulate and many more local dialects in the past, it must have been a nightmare for the writers. Some of them (even parish priests (graduates) might have been a bit unsure of names and their proper spelling. One noticeable thing about BT's is names were corrected on transcription of the PR's.

At different points in time, surnames, previously fluid, were solidified and are what they are today. 

   
Griffiths Llandogo, Mitcheltroy, Mon. and Whitchurch Here (Also Edwards),  18th C., Griffiths FoD 19th Century.


Offline Griffl

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Re: Griffith surname changed to Griffiths within a generation?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 05 August 14 11:18 BST (UK) »

Yes it seems at marriage he was illiterate and also it looks like his name is written as GriffithS
As I have only just managed to get hold of a picture of the parish register as it has been "coming soon" for a ling time...


Thank you Regorian, I will keep your note in mind while I look for his baptism in the BTs