Hints on Names
Christian Names
Many of us have learned the hard way that first names which we regard as quite distinct were used interchangeably in Scottish documents, including the Parish Registers and the Census. For example, in Strathdon, we have seen most of the examples quoted as follows on page xxii of ‘The valuation of the county of Aberdeen for the year 1667’ edited by Alistair and Henrietta Tayler, Third Spalding Club, 1933:
‘Difficulty in identifying persons is sometimes occasioned by the well-known habit of early scribes who regarded certain Christian names as interchangeable viz Peter and Patrick, Donald and Daniel, Isabel and Elizabeth, Anne and Agnes, Marion and Marjorie, as well as the more usual Jean for Janet, Alistair for Alexander, Jacob for James etc.’
D.J.Steel in 'Sources for Scottish Genealogy and Family History' (Society of Genealogists 1970) quotes the following Gaelic/Scottish equivalents:
Hamish or Seumas/James, Iain/John, Alasdair/Alexander, Ruari/Roderick, Aoidh/Hugh, Eachann/Hector, Neil/Nigel and Angus/Aeneas.
Those of us who have attended courses led by Lesley Diack are ready at least for:
Jane/Jean, Janet/Jessie, Alexander/Sandy, Patrick/Peter, Elspet/Betsy/Bethia/Elizabeth, Polly/Mary and Bella/Isabel/Isobel/Isabella/Isobella.
Surnames
At
least until the nineteenth century, variations in the spelling of McHardy are
numerous, but not significant. A Robert McKadey inventory in 1730
refers to his brother in law as McHardy and his children as McHardies.
James McHardy's lease of Torrancroy spells his surname three ways within the
same document. At least the following variations can be found in the IGI
(page references are to the 1992 edition for Aberdeenshire):
11423:
MACKARDY; 11427: MACKHARDIE;
11578: MAKADEY, MAKADIE, MAKAIDEY,
MAKARDEY, MAKARDIE, MAKARDY, MAKCARDIE: 11981: MCADY, MCADIE, MCADDIE;
12276-12308: MCHARDY, MCHARDI,
MACHARDY, MCHARDIE, MCHARIDIE, MCKARDIE; 12895-12896: MCARDIE, MCARDY, MCCARDI; 12899: MCCADE, MCCADIE, MCCADY,
MCCAIDIE; 12901: MCCARDI;
12902: MCCARDIE, MCCARDY;
12903: MACKARDIE;
12932: MCHARDI;
12936: MCKADE, MCKADEY, MCKAIDEY;
[reference mislaid]:
MCKADIE, MCCHARTEY.
Notwithstanding the variety of McHardy spellings, the surname McHandy (which occurs frequently in eighteenth century Strathdon) belongs to quite a different family. Evidence of this alias occurs in:
Strathdon OPR: 1783 May 9th 'John McAndie alias Stuart in Lagnascalon had a son baptised Charles'
Aberdeen University MS3402 Bundle 24: 'compeared William Stuart alias McAndy in Corrybraik' (1775)
Aberdeen University MS 3175 v804A: ' Jonathan Mchandie alias Stewart tenant in Newtown' (1790)
I had imagined that the surname McHandy was that adopted by the Stewarts (or Stuarts) while their name was proscribed after the risings of 1715 and 1745. By the end of the century they had switched back, and there were eight or more Stuarts in the roll of the Strathdon Volunteers in 1799. However 'The Land o' Lonach' pictures a receipt dated 1752 from 'Arthur and James Allanach alias McCandy in Lynmore of Glenconry'. Ron Winram suggests that the Allanachs after 1745 became McCandys and then Stewarts. But this is not the complete story, because there were four Allanachs as well as Stuarts in the roll of 1798. Further evidence is invited.
Charles
Christie in 'Stray Memories of Strathdon' writes that Stuart or Stewart aliases
included Mackonish, Mackomish and Mugach as well as Macandie. There is a
nice example (with a story behind it) in the National Archives of Scotland (to
whom many thanks) Sheriff Court Processes in 1754 (SC 1/11/10) as follows:
Andrew McHardy points out that the McComish
alias for Stewart was used in Corgarf where eg William McHardy in Delavine was
married to Elspet McComish or Stuart.
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