The Scottish Onomastic Pattern: American Examples 1

Transcription

1 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples 1 As my report, The Scottish Onomaic Child-naming Pattern explains, ere are two variants of e Scottish Onomaic Pattern, which I have dubbed e ANCESTRAL a e PARENTAL; for convenience, I have replicated ese in e APPENDIX to is report. Bo variants are fou in Scotla, a bo occur in e set of American ROBB families in e desceancy below. These two variants are e same for e fir two children of each sex, a for e va majority of Scottish-origined families, wheer in Scotla, or among reasonably recent emigrants to Irela, America, or elsewhere, it is apparent at e general pattern had at lea a rong influence on e naming of ese early children, a in mo cases, e pattern was determinative. Outside of Scotla, ough, complications crept in, a e pure application of e pattern began to attenuate wi e passing of e generations, as 3 a 4 generation immigrants assimilated into e mainream of eir new country. Anoer complicating factor, was at when middle names began to come in (in America after e Revolution, in Scotla somewhat later) an accommodation had to be made. In Scotla, it appears at in mo cases, e middle name given e child was simply e surname of e anceor honored in e naming: us a grason of John McARTHUR, surnamed ROBB after his faer, might be named John McArur ROBB. This practice can also be seen in America briefly (before e pattern faded out ere), but even more common, perhaps, was to name e fir son for bo his paternal a maternal grafaers, a e fir daughter for bo of her gramoers. When is telescoping occurred, naturally, e next child of at sex would be given e 3 name called for by e pattern. Thanks to ese complications, a more importantly because of e lack of anceral data, it can often be difficult or impossible to determine which variant of e pattern is in effect for a particular conjugal family, or even for e naming of a particular child. For at reason, I generally identify ieterminate namings as EQUIVOCAL, raer an ANCESTRAL or PARENTAL. In e example desceancy below, ough, I have generally confined my usage of e term EQUIVOCAL to e typing of e overall family, a supplied bo e ANCESTRAL a e PARENTAL interpretive possibilities for each child whose naming is EQUIVOCAL. Oer conventions observed in e data a annotations, below: The Surname is ROBB unless oerwise iicated. Bir dates are shown in pareneses: abt qualifier means evidence-based date is accurate to wiin a year or so; say qualifier means e date is a guesimate based on e known circumances, a on typical patterns + = married; marriage dates are omitted, below. Onomaic relationships to e child are commented in red; some are also telescoped i.e. one name satisfies two relationships. Where no relationship comment appears, it is because e relationship is ieterminate due to insufficient anceral data. The overall pattern for e children of a particular family (ANCESTRAL, PARENTAL, or EQUIVOCAL) is commented in green.

2 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples 2 1 William ROBB (say 1700), Scotch-Irish immigrant to LancaerCoPA ---+1Isobel (_?_) (say 1702) ---+2Margaret (_?_) (say 1712) ---2 John (abt 1729) of LancaerCoPA, a WashingtonCoPA Barbara McKNIGHT (say 1733) [The onomaics say at Barbara s parents should be John & Agnes McKNIGHT, a at she was not erefore e daughter of e James McKNIGHT, wi wife Barbara, who made John2 Robb a co-executor of his will but fails to name a daughter Barbara erein. There were several John McKNIGHTs in e area, but I can t put my finger yet on one whose wife s name was Agnes or Nancy.] [John2 & Barbara followed an EQUIVOCAL pattern, but from e fact at son William3 followed e ANCESTRAL pattern, I suspect at faer John2 did as well.] William (1757) [for faer s faer] Mary RALSTON [Mary is likely e daughter of John2 & Barbara s WashingtonCoPA neighbor Samuel Ralon; from e onomaics, Mary figures to have had a moer named Isabel or Ann, but I haven t fou a reco naming Samuel Ralon s wife.] [William3 & Mary appear to have followed e ANCESTRAL pattern.] Agnes ( Nancy ) [Possibly her full name was Barbara Agnes, named for bo gramoers; many fir daughters were named us when middle names came in at about is time.] John CALEG(CLEGG?)/KEPP?; [daughters named Barbara a Mary] Isabel (abt 1793) [perhaps for faer s faer s moer (ANCESTRAL)] [If fir daughter Agnes was name for bo her gramoers, en e next daughter, Isabel, should be named for her moer (PARENTAL), or her moer s faer s moer (ANCESTRAL). I ink at Isabel, like Agnes, probably had a middle name; oerwise, e female pattern breaks down for e daughters, even ough it appears to be in effect for e sons. If e PARENTAL pattern were being followed, one would expect e single name Mary at is point, but inead, we get e name of e faer s faer s moer, which would in e ANCESTRAL pattern be e 4 name used. I ink at e ANCESTRAL pattern is ieed in effect here a at Isabel had a middle name, or anoer given name, at belonged to her moer s faer s moer, which would normally be e 3 name used. Alternatively, e 3 name used in is family might simply be at of e faer s faer s moer marking a variation in e traditional ANCESTRAL pattern. A I note at William3's son William4, also used e name of his faer s faer s moer as e 3 name used, if William4's fir daughter, Mary, also had a middle name at was her moer s moer.] John (say 1795) [for faer s faer] Ann (say 1797) Samuel (abt 1799) [for probable moer s faer]

3 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples William (say 1801) [eier for faer (PARENTAL) or faer s faer s faer (ANCESTRAL)] Belle BRUNT[ON], possibly daughter of John of Fir Moon Twp, BeaverCoPA [William4 & [Isa]belle s pattern was EQUIVOCAL, or even eclectic, due probably to unknown middle names. I suspect, however, given e apparently ANCESTRAL pattern of faer William3 at it too was ANCESTRAL.] Mary (say 1827) [for faer s moer a maybe Mary s middle name was her moer s moer s] William (abt 1829) [for faer s faer, a faer - telescoping] Barbara (abt 1832) [perhaps for faer s faer s moer (ANCESTRAL)] Sarah (abt 1834) John Aerson(abt 1838) [e John is probably for moer s faer but ere were also Aerson families in e picture] Thomas J (abt 1840) Joseph (say 1804) [for faer s next olde broer (PARENTAL)] Lettice (say 1806) James L (abt 1808) [James followed no particular pattern in naming his children.] John (1759) [probably for moer s faer, perhaps also for faer (PARENTAL) - telescoping] Jane Kelso (1766), [?daughter of George &?Jane] [There were ju two Kelso households in e area in e 1790 USC, one headed by George, one by John, bo in e portion of AlleghenyCoPA which was appropriated from WashingtonCo, where John3's broer,william3 (John2, Wm1) lived. Acc to Boucher s...pittsburgh a her People, George s son James had a seco dau named Jane, us George s wife, too, should have been named Jane.] [John3 & Jane probably followed e ANCESTRAL pattern. Though mo of e evidence is EQUIVOCAL, e naming of e four daughter, Isabel, tips e balance to e ANCESTRAL side.] John [for faer s faer AND if PARENTAL pattern in effect, also for faer - telescoping] George [for moer s faer, probably] Jane [for moer s moer? AND if PARENTAL pattern is in effect, also e moer - telescoping] Barbara [for faer s moer] Elizabe William [for faer s faer s faer (ANCESTRAL) OR if PARENTAL pattern is in effect, for faer s olde broer] Isabel [for faer s faer s moer (ANCESTRAL)] Mark

4 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples Samuel (say 1732) [named a seco son William, but oerwise did not follow eier aa pattern] ---2 William (say 1735) [mo children unknown, but probably didn t follow eier aa pattern] ---2 Joseph (say 1741) Jean VOGAN [Joseph2 & Jean followed e PARENTAL pattern.] Isabelle (1770) [for faer s moer] William (1771) [for faer s faer] Margaret (1773) [for faer s seco wife, probably] Hannah (1774) [Joseph? (1776)] [for faer (PARENTAL)] [is son Joseph isn t as well documented as e oer children here] John (1778) [for faer s olde broer (PARENTAL)] James (1780) Josiah (1784) Jean (1790) [for moer (PARENTAL)] ---2 Arew (say 1748) [Arew2, like broer Joseph2 followed e PARENTAL pattern.]

5 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples 5 APPENDIX: The ANCESTRAL a e PARENTAL Variants of e Scottish Child-naming Pattern The ANCESTRAL Scottish Child-naming Pattern 1 son is named for his faer s faer. 2 son is named for his moer s faer 3 son is named for his faer s faer s faer 4 son is named for his moer s moer s faer 5 son is named for his faer s moer s faer 6 son is named for his moer s faer s faer 7-10 sons are named for eir faer s great-grafaers sons are named for eir moer s great-grafaers 1 daughter is named for her moer s moer 2 daughter is named for her faer s moer 3 daughter is named for her moer s faer s moer 4 daughter is named for her faer s faer s moer 5 daughter is named for her moer s moer s moer 6 daughter is named for her faer s moer s moer 7-10 daughters are named for eir moer s great-gramoers daughters are named for eir moer s great-gramoers

6 The Scottish Onomaic Pattern: American Examples 6 The PARENTAL Scottish Child-naming Pattern 1 son is named for his faer s faer. 2 son is named for his moer s faer 3 son is named for his faer 4 son is named for his faer s elde broer 5 son is named for his faer s next elde broer 1 daughter is named for her moer s moer 2 daughter is named for her faer s moer 3 daughter is named for her moer 4 daughter is named for her moer s elde sier 5 daughter is named for her moer s next elde sier a e pattern continues wi subsequent children of each sex named for e next elde same sex parental siblings. In practice, e 4 -N children may be named for moer s broers, or faer s siers, as well, a not necessarily in e oer of eir bir. Thus, is PARENTAL pattern becomes unreliable after e i or four child. Where e parental pattern is in effect, ough (wi e i children of each sex named for eir parents), one would expect at e four son would be named for his faer s olde broer. Oer variations I have seen in is oerwise looser pattern, are e oensible naming of children for eir faer s or moer s ep-parents, as well as for eir bir parents.