Name variance

[D.W.Livingston]

I am just wondering if the name MACENLEA is a variation of MacOnlea or Maclea? I found this in the Wills section with description of Lismore MacOchananich or MacO'Connonich Gilnive 11/09/1694 and Moir NicEnlea, spouses, in Balemakillachane in Lismore, d. Aug. 1694 and May 1694; Christian, daughter, and Duncan MacEnlea, her husband, in Balemakillachane Inventory Argyll Commissary Court CC2/5/4

[Kyle2 MacLea]

Looks like you have yourself a rare variant, David!

[Kyle2 MacLea]

MacLey or McLey -- anyone seen this?

[Kyle2 MacLea]

For births, found this: 1 31/01/1714 MCENLEA JAMES MALCOM MCENLEA/MARY NCLEAN M Jura /ARGYLL 539/001 0010 0050 And for Macley, found this: 1 15/06/1708 MACLEY ANNA JAMES PATERSON/ F Logie Easter (Ross and Cromarty) /ROSS AND CROMARTY 077/ 0010 0179 2 01/05/1821 MACLEY BARBARA PETER MENZIES/FR4549 F Dunfermline /FIFE 424/ 0160 0050 3 14/07/1759 MACLEY CHRISTIAN JOHN MUNRO/ F Kiltearn /ROSS AND CROMARTY 070/ 0010 0333 4 18/04/1816 MACLEY DONALD MARGT. MCKENZIE/ M Lochbroom /ROSS AND CROMARTY 075/ 0010 0137 5 15/12/1709 MACLEY DUGALL KATHRINE MACILICHEAN/ M Logie Easter (Ross and Cromarty) /ROSS AND CROMARTY 077/ 0010 0180 6 05/03/1847 MACLEY DUNCAN ISABELLA MACDONALD/ M Urray /ROSS AND CROMARTY 085/ 0020 0194 7 14/12/1832 MACLEY ELIZABETH DAVID ROSS/ F Alness /ROSS AND CROMARTY 057/ 0020 0104 8 22/03/1738 MACLEY GIRSEL ALEXR. MCHOMAISH/ F Fodderty /ROSS AND CROMARTY 065/ 0010 0157 9 25/05/1728 MACLEY JAMES MARGARET BURGESS/ M Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0010 0182 10 03/03/1802 MACLEY JANNET DUNCAN MACLEAN/FR52 F Lochbroom /ROSS AND CROMARTY 075/ 0010 0081 11 06/03/1802 MACLEY JOHN MARGT. MACKENZIE/FR52 M Lochbroom /ROSS AND CROMARTY 075/ 0010 0082 12 04/03/1800 MACLEY KENNETH MARGT. MACKENZIE/FR29 M Lochbroom /ROSS AND CROMARTY 075/ 0010 0038 13 12/11/1796 MACLEY WILLIAM MARY BAINE FR865 M Greenock New or Middle /RENFREW 564/001 0040 0235 And this for McLey: 1 12/11/1808 MCLEY AGNES JAMES MILLER/ F Kilmaronock (Dunbarton) /DUNBARTON 497/ 0010 0520 2 28/11/1840 MCLEY ALEXANDER JANE TAYLOR/ M Logie Pert (Angus) /ANGUS 304/ 0030 0079 3 26/10/1754 MCLEY ANNE DONALD MUNRO/ F Kiltearn /ROSS AND CROMARTY 070/ 0010 0326 4 06/01/1815 MCLEY ANNE JOHN GRANT/ F Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0030 0374 5 29/12/1824 MCLEY CATH KENNETH MCKENZIE/ F Lochbroom /ROSS AND CROMARTY 075/ 0020 0083 6 05/01/1714 MCLEY DONALD CHRISTAN MUNRO/ M Kiltearn /ROSS AND CROMARTY 070/ 0010 0288 7 14/01/1725 MCLEY DONALD MARION HENDERSON/FR66 M Watten /CAITHNESS 042/ 0010 0055 8 16/06/1730 MCLEY DONALD JANNET SUTHERLAND/FR92 M Watten /CAITHNESS 042/ 0010 0080 9 01/02/1778 MCLEY DONALD JANE MCCHRISTIAN/ M Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0030 0425 10 22/04/1780 MCLEY DONALD MARGARET HARDY/ M Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0030 0429 11 13/06/1780 MCLEY DONALD MARY MCINTOSH/ M Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0030 0431 12 09/12/1803 MCLEY DONALD MARTHA MORRISON/ M Nairn /NAIRN 123/ 0030 0473 13 07/02/1824 MCLEY DUNCAN JEAN MCMURRICH/FR443 M Kilmaronock (Dunbarton) /DUNBARTON 497/ 0020 0184 14 30/11/1716 MCLEY EUFFIA DONALD MUNRO/ F Kiltearn /ROSS AND CROMARTY 070/ 0010 0294 15 26/12/1819 MCLEY GEORGE MARY PEEBLES/FR3386 M Dunfermline /FIFE 424/ 0100 0699 16 17/11/1704 MCLEY HUMPHREY MARGARET DENOVAN/FR1607 M St Ninians /STIRLING 488/ 0050 0040 17 13/11/1816 MCLEY JAMES NAME NOT GIVEN//FRMR4-19 CROSSED OUT M Edinburgh EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/001 0540

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David, Thats a great find. I agree with Kyle on that one. No doubt a variation of Maconlea which was common spelling of our clan name in the 17th and 18th century. There are as you may already now a number of interesting spelling variations. I have tried to keep a list of them from a variety of sources and locations that originated in Argyll. regards, Donald (Livingstone) Clink

[Craig McClay Wilson]

See also the "Account of the Name of McLea" manuscript, footnote 16.

[Ralph Livingstone]

I realize this is an old thread - but I thought reviving it might bring up an important point to other inexperienced researchers, such as myself. As to the matter of name variances - though I'm sure the subject has been covered extensively here before - I'll share a few thoughts that have recently changed my own research strategy: We tend to view the matter of our own surnames with a fairly rigid idea of our family identity, and from the modern perspective of well-educated people, who take for granted the strict knowledge of letters, and a rigid discipline of time and date. For many years I limited my own research to "Livingstones" that spelled their name with the "e" on the end. I looked over records where the "e" was left off, "just in case", but that was as far as I could let my paradigm vary. Only after I read an account of my Great-Great Grandmother "leaving her mark" on her will, did I consider the fact that many of my common farmer ancestors probably couldn't read or write. The accuracy of the records kept of my family's births, marriages, travel and legal proceedings depended heavily upon the education, accuracy and opinions of the clergy and government clerks of the time. They were working strictly from what their ears heard, and how they had spelled similar family names before. Because of the slower pace of life in those times, the recording of events may not have occurred immediately after the event happened. Even if several clergymen or government recorders made records of the same event, there could easily be variances in the spelling or dates. So far, I have found "Livingstones", "Livingstons", and "Levingstons" that are certainly my ancestors. I expect as I trace my family back earlier than the 1750's that the spellings will vary even more - and that I'll eventually be tracing MacOnleas or Macleas, and variants of those spellings as well. I also now look very carefully at records of names and events that seem to fit other information I have - even if the dates vary by a year or so.

[Kyle2 MacLea]

Ralph, great points!

[Kyle2 MacLea]

And, like Ralph, I once didn't look at "McLea" at all, only "MacLea"--which leaves you without anything!