Author Topic: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?  (Read 12141 times)

Offline GDub71

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Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« on: Saturday 18 August 12 20:09 BST (UK) »
I've just cracked one of my wife's ancestral lines and the reason for my difficulties in doing so now appears clear. Her ancestors were William Moir and Ann Chisholm married at Grange in 1791. William Moir appears to have been from Cairnie and is too difficult to pin down, the name being quite common in Aberdeenshire. Ann Chisholm though is a much easier spot, b.1769, daughter of Alexander Chisholm and Margaret Gaa. That was as far as I got until I found her siblings with various Surnames:

Chizet, Chizzet, Chizat and her father as Chizzat, Chezzet and Chizzat

Although it later became Chisholm, I'm not convinced that it is a derivation of that name. Could it be an entirely separate Surname, or perhaps an alternative of Chessor, from King Edward direction?

Also, Margaret's surname Gaa is also given as; Gawn, Gall and Goal. I supect this might be a form of Gauld, but maybe not?

I've never seen so many derivations of Surnames in any of my 20 years research and to find it within a married couple so is very odd. Anybody got any ideas on this?

 :-\
Banffshire - WILSON, RIACH, CALDER, MUIRY, PETERKIN, CRAIB, OGG, CRUICKSHANK, FARQUHAR, COPLAND, HAY, SHAW, HIND, STRATHDEE, MORRISON, WISEMAN, MOIR, MILNE, SHEPHERD, BLACK, BRUCE, RAMSAY, PEARSON, MCPHERSON, SHEED, MCANDIE
Morayshire - MAVER, RAMSAY, PHINN, SIMPSON
Aberdeenshire - MCINTOSH, GILLAN
Kincardineshire - DUTHIE
Ross-shire - MCANGUS, MCKENZIE, TARRELL,
Inverness-shire - MACKAY, FERGUSON, MACCUISH, BEATON, GILLIES, MACDONALD, MACVICAR, MACDIARMID
Louth - KIERAN, KANE, ENGLISHBY, FEGAN

Offline 1pds

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 21 August 12 21:35 BST (UK) »
Gaa, needless to say  ;D  is not common in the UK.  It is slightly more common in the USA, see:

http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/GAA
Sands Frain Moore Woodcock Loft Snowden

Offline 1pds

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 21 August 12 21:36 BST (UK) »
Sands Frain Moore Woodcock Loft Snowden

Offline GDub71

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 07:48 BST (UK) »
I had seen that, it could be a throwback to the period when settlers arrived in Scotland from Flanders and Brabantia (Craib's for example). I suspect that for many, Aberdeen was their point of entry and they spread out from there to find places where their trades were desirable.

I did find another... a Janet Gaa married to an Alexander Bruce with their family starting n 1768 in Grange. Likely a younger sister or niece of Margaret Gaa. The fact that I can't find their births, or any Gaa's before them is probably owing to some variation in the name. In other words I don't know what to look for!

Now, if Chizet also has European origins, that would perhaps be significant!
Banffshire - WILSON, RIACH, CALDER, MUIRY, PETERKIN, CRAIB, OGG, CRUICKSHANK, FARQUHAR, COPLAND, HAY, SHAW, HIND, STRATHDEE, MORRISON, WISEMAN, MOIR, MILNE, SHEPHERD, BLACK, BRUCE, RAMSAY, PEARSON, MCPHERSON, SHEED, MCANDIE
Morayshire - MAVER, RAMSAY, PHINN, SIMPSON
Aberdeenshire - MCINTOSH, GILLAN
Kincardineshire - DUTHIE
Ross-shire - MCANGUS, MCKENZIE, TARRELL,
Inverness-shire - MACKAY, FERGUSON, MACCUISH, BEATON, GILLIES, MACDONALD, MACVICAR, MACDIARMID
Louth - KIERAN, KANE, ENGLISHBY, FEGAN


Offline Forfarian

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 09:37 BST (UK) »
Have you considered the possibility that Gaa is a variant spelling of Gaw? This does occur in Scotland as a surname, though it's not common. It in turn may of course be a variant of the surname Gow, from 'gobha', which is Gaelic for 'smith', the commonest surname of all.

Gall is common enough, and often occurs as a variant of Gauld or Gold. I suspect that they all have a common origin.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline GDub71

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 11:47 BST (UK) »
Gall is common enough, and often occurs as a variant of Gauld or Gold. I suspect that they all have a common origin.

... and we have a winner! Margaret Gall b.1733 to James Gall and Jean Craib, at Grange and Janet Gall b.1736 to same parents. So at least I had the sisters part right!

There's a whole load of Gall's and Gaul's in 18th Century Grange. I suppose it all comes back to phonetics!

Nice one Forfarian  :)
Banffshire - WILSON, RIACH, CALDER, MUIRY, PETERKIN, CRAIB, OGG, CRUICKSHANK, FARQUHAR, COPLAND, HAY, SHAW, HIND, STRATHDEE, MORRISON, WISEMAN, MOIR, MILNE, SHEPHERD, BLACK, BRUCE, RAMSAY, PEARSON, MCPHERSON, SHEED, MCANDIE
Morayshire - MAVER, RAMSAY, PHINN, SIMPSON
Aberdeenshire - MCINTOSH, GILLAN
Kincardineshire - DUTHIE
Ross-shire - MCANGUS, MCKENZIE, TARRELL,
Inverness-shire - MACKAY, FERGUSON, MACCUISH, BEATON, GILLIES, MACDONALD, MACVICAR, MACDIARMID
Louth - KIERAN, KANE, ENGLISHBY, FEGAN

Offline GR2

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 17:31 BST (UK) »
A couple of other Grange Chizets for you:

In 1701-02 Margaret Chizet in Bracco was in trouble with the kirk session for making a false accusation.

In 1706 Patrick Chizet was one of a group fined for "drinking and makeing abuse" in William Robb's house on the Sabbath night.

On 8th June 1707 Patrick Chizet in Nethermill "was appoynted to get up his Marriage pledges for himself and his wife seeing there was no Scandall found to be at his Marriage."

William Robb lived at Nethermill, so it is likely that the two Patricks are the same man.

As to Galls, I hope you are a descendant of the Thomas Gall who, at Grange in 1707, "scandalously misbehaved in the Church in the time of prayer by throwing a strangers bonnet out of the door".  :o

Offline GDub71

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 19:09 BST (UK) »
Thanks GR2, yes, since I've just put the final pieces together today regarding the Gaa's (Gall's)... and these are my wife's ancestors not mine, so I'm happy for them to do all manners of ill... it seems that the wife is definitely descended from Thomas Gall and Margaret Lawrence. Likewise, she is also descended from Patrick (Peter) Chizet and Isobell Bruce. So, I will happily include the information you have supplied regarding the antics of both. Margaret Chizet is Patrick's siter I'm sure, but unusually for Grange no births for either (would be around 1680), unless they are going under some other exotic variation of their name.

Cheers all the same!

 :)
Banffshire - WILSON, RIACH, CALDER, MUIRY, PETERKIN, CRAIB, OGG, CRUICKSHANK, FARQUHAR, COPLAND, HAY, SHAW, HIND, STRATHDEE, MORRISON, WISEMAN, MOIR, MILNE, SHEPHERD, BLACK, BRUCE, RAMSAY, PEARSON, MCPHERSON, SHEED, MCANDIE
Morayshire - MAVER, RAMSAY, PHINN, SIMPSON
Aberdeenshire - MCINTOSH, GILLAN
Kincardineshire - DUTHIE
Ross-shire - MCANGUS, MCKENZIE, TARRELL,
Inverness-shire - MACKAY, FERGUSON, MACCUISH, BEATON, GILLIES, MACDONALD, MACVICAR, MACDIARMID
Louth - KIERAN, KANE, ENGLISHBY, FEGAN

Offline GR2

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Re: Odd Surnames Chizet and Gaa in Grange?
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 22 August 12 22:17 BST (UK) »
Well, since you are digging the dirt and rattling the skeletons on your wife's side ............

(2nd June 1695)

"The said day sederunt the said Mr William Hamilton Moderator and the Elders and after prayer Margaret Thomson in Paithnick was delate to be with child to Thomas Gall in Balnamain and both being summoned to this dyet were called in and acknowledged the guilt and they being removed and the Sessions mind being sought anent them The Session thought fit to appoynt them both to enter the profession of their repentance (it being a relapse to the woman) when the opportunity of actuall ministers preaching at this place could be had and the man to pay five merks of poenaltie (being single fornication to him) and the woman ten Merks and so they were called in and the Sessions mind told to them and exhorted to there duty and dismissed".

Margaret Thomson "sometime in Muriefold" had a child by George Nuckell in 1699. As it was a "trelapse" to her, she ended up appearing nineteen times in sackcloth, being referred to the Presbytery and having to pay a fine of £10 Scots. Sounds like the same woman. If so, she was not married to Thomas Gall at that point.