Author Topic: Name Change Mystery?  (Read 1295 times)

Offline Suemagoo

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Name Change Mystery?
« on: Tuesday 13 June 17 17:01 BST (UK) »
I made a request for opinions several months ago regarding my Fergus ancestors. Short version being there were 2 brothers, Isaac Fergus and Andrew Fergus. Isaac settled in the Town land of Creevy and Andrew in Finnard. My Dad's side goes down the road for Isaac. Both men married and had children and every birth record I have gives the surname of Fergus sometimes spelled Forgy. Suddenly on Andrew's side the name is changed to Ferguson and when I asked for opinions as to why, I was told that because Andrew couldn't read or write, sometimes spellings for last names would vary. Griffiths Valuation shows Andrew Fergus. I have seen Fergus as Forgy or Forgie, but from Fergus to Ferguson still made me wonder.  Since my inquiry I have found that on a birth entry for Andrew Fergus's son Isaac who was born in 24 May 1873, in the side of the form it says that on 26 May 1894, Andrew Fergus entered a statutory declaration and had the name changed to Ferguson. On the birth record his son Isaac, his wife Eliza and himself had their last names changed to Ferguson. All the other children did not have their birth records altered, just Isaac. Further checking on the Valuation Revision books, in 1892 Andrew Fergus, his last name is crossed out and Ferguson added. One theory I received from a historical librarian was that the name Fergus is usually a Catholic name and because Andrew Fergus was living in Finnard, Newry, a very Protestant area, perhaps he wanted to ensure the people in the area that his family were in fact Protestant. Not sure of that, since I would think in those days if they lived in the area for years and attended Church, the people would know they were Protestant.  This may be something I will never find out, but I wanted to try one last time to see if anyone with more experienced then me can advise or if there is another route I could take to find out about the name change, or was something going on in 1894 in the area that might cause his family to fear something and therefore change the name?
As always my most sincere thanks for any help, advice or guidance.

Offline josey

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Re: Name Change Mystery?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 13 June 17 17:16 BST (UK) »
Link to previous thread; I suggest you ask the moderator to merge them so that all the information is in one place....

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=766924.msg6195101#msg6195101

Josey
Seeking: RC baptism Philip Murray Feb ish 1814 ? nr Chatham Kent.
IRE: Kik DRAY[EA], PURCELL, WHITE: Mea LYNCH: Tip MURRAY, SHEEDY: Wem ALLEN, ENGLISHBY; Dub PENROSE: Lim DUNN[E], FRAWLEY, WILLIAMS.
87th Regiment RIF: MURRAY
ENG; Marylebone HAYTER, TROU[W]SDALE, WILLIAMS,DUNEVAN Con HAMPTON, TREMELLING Wry CLEGG, HOLLAND, HORSEFIELD Coventry McGINTY
CAN; Halifax & Pictou: HOLLAND, WHITE, WILLIAMSON

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Name Change Mystery?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 13 June 17 17:30 BST (UK) »
One theory I received from a historical librarian was that the name Fergus is usually a Catholic name
1901 census for Co. down lists 11 entries for FERGUS- ALL 11 are Presbyterian
In Co. Armagh there are 10 FERGUS entries- ALL Church of Ireland or Presbyterian
In Co. Antrim there are 22 FERGUS entries- half Presbyterian and half R.C.
(I didn't check any of the entries to see where they were born but from those 3 counties I'm not sure how a librarian can say that Fergus is 'usually a Catholic name'
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline Suemagoo

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Re: Name Change Mystery?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 13 June 17 23:27 BST (UK) »
Thank you for your thoughts. I didn't have a good feeling about the explanation of the name being Catholic therefore the change to "convince" people in the area that they were truly Protestant. I guess I have to accept I will never find out the reason for the name change and be content and move on. Fergus or Ferguson they are still my ancestors and I have been fortunate to find out what I have with thanks from several kind people on this page.

Once again sincere thanks for the time and quickness in responding to my strange situation.

Take care for now.
Susan Graham
Ajax, Ontario
Canada


Offline whiteout7

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Re: Name Change Mystery?
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 14 June 17 00:38 BST (UK) »
Do you know if they were born in Scotland? Who is to say that they were not originally Fergusons and that they were not just reverting back to the correct spelling?

Wemyss/Crombie/Laing/Blyth (West Wemyss)
Givens/Normand (Dysart)
Clark/Lister (Dysart)
Wilkinson/Simson (Kettle or Kettlehill)

Offline Suemagoo

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Re: Name Change Mystery?
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 14 June 17 12:22 BST (UK) »
I never considered that they were born in Scotland and maybe because Andrew couldn't read or write the name Ferguson got translated into Fergus??? Good thought!!! Thank you so much.