Kilmory - Is "Crawford" the same as "McGraffan"

[heywood]

Have to have a look at that dictionary and see where the statement comes from. It looks inherently unlikely that a surname of territorial origin and a patronymic would be from the same source, but you never know.

I am sure you are correct. It looked interesting though. 

[Rakiura John]

GR2. Thanks. However Isobel's spouse was Donald McNeil, not a McGraffan. The FS Tree currently has her surname as "Crawford or McGraffan" only because that's what I changed it to yesterday - to reflect my conclusion that Isobel Crawford and Isobel McGraffan are the same person.

Although it always possible Isobel had a prior marriage to a McGraffan, I discounted that because the birth record for Isobel's first child has Isobel's surname as "Crawford" and it would be unlikely for her surname to then revert back to a surname obtained thru a prior marriage for the next two children then back Crawford for the remaining six children. Much more likely that Isobel's maiden name is Crawford sometimes pronounced locally as McGraffan. Hence my query to Bute experts wondering whether Crawford and McGraffan are the same surname.

[Forfarian]

All very intriguing.

It is certainly true that Isabel's previous married name, if any, would not have appeared in the baptism records of any of her children by a second marriage.

I can find one child, Catherine, baptised 1775 to Donald McNeil and Isabel McGraffan, and seven, baptised between 1773 and 1796, to Donald MacNeil and Isabel Crawford.

Have you looked at all the original baptisms to see if they record Donald's occupation and/or the couple's residence and/or the names of any witnesses?

[Forfarian]

Have to have a look at that dictionary and see where the statement comes from. It looks inherently unlikely that a surname of territorial origin and a patronymic would be from the same source, but you never know.

I am sure you are correct. It looked interesting though. 

It does indeed.

[Rakiura John]

Forfarian, yes forking out for birth records would be the next logical step, but in this instance I haven't got any personal interest so I'll leave it at that.

It's the matter of that Catherine (mother recorded as McGraffan) which raised the query. She appears in Census as sister of Robert, he being one of the kids who has his mother recorded as Crawford; and the SP Death Index has her 1858 Death with "mother's maiden name Crawford". Which all points to McGraffan being synonymous with Crawford in this instance.
regards
John

[Forfarian]

Yes, it does all look very credible.

[GR2]

Could just be that the session clerk wasn't sure of her surname on that one occasion. He would write up the register at home after the event.

[ChristineM]

My gggrandmother was variously referred to in the OPRs and civil registration documents as "Barron", "Scott" and also as "Barron or Scott". On her death cert her father is listed as David Barron who was indeed the husband of Isabella's mother however he died in 1818 and she was b. 1828. I can't find a baptism for her but have concluded that probably her biological father was a Scott.
Maybe something similar with your Isabel?

[GR2]

My gggrandmother was variously referred to in the OPRs and civil registration documents as "Barron", "Scott" and also as "Barron or Scott". On her death cert her father is listed as David Barron who was indeed the husband of Isabella's mother however he died in 1818 and she was b. 1828. I can't find a baptism for her but have concluded that probably her biological father was a Scott.
Maybe something similar with your Isabel?

Do you know from the censuses which parish she was born in? It might be that the minutes of the kirk session could throw a light on her birth. What was her mother's name?