Name changing (Lithuanian)

[mcblondie]

Hi all,

Hope this message finds you all well

Once again I'm looking for information. For the longest time now i've been trying to locate my Lithuanian grandfather's brother whom i believe lived in Bellshill. The family name being Palokas, (many spellings/variants) I say Palokas as that is what is on my g.father's marriage cert. Although my family changed it over the years to Polockus (don't know why). I've tried searching on SP for marriage/death/birth certs for anyone with this name especially the "brother" but so far can't find anything or anyone with the same parent as my g.father. I got to thinking that possibly the "brother" may have changed his name to fit in as so many of them did this. I've tried Millar, Brown, Mitchell all the usual names that were used but there are hundreds and it would cost a small fortune to keep d/loading these certs.

So i ask all of you wonderful people out there is anyone familiar with any families who were Lithuanian/Polish who changed there names? if so what did they change them too?

sincerely,

Katie

[CatrionaL]

Hullo Katie

When I read your post my immediate thought was: could he have taken the name POLLOCK which is a Scottish name?

Second question, maybe a rather obvious one. Have you been using 'wild cards' in your SP searches?

Best wishes for succesful searching.

Catriona

[nelmit]

Hi all,

Hope this message finds you all well

Once again I'm looking for information. For the longest time now i've been trying to locate my Lithuanian grandfather's brother whom i believe lived in Bellshill. The family name being Palokas, (many spellings/variants) I say Palokas as that is what is on my g.father's marriage cert. Although my family changed it over the years to Polockus (don't know why). I've tried searching on SP for marriage/death/birth certs for anyone with this name especially the "brother" but so far can't find anything or anyone with the same parent as my g.father. I got to thinking that possibly the "brother" may have changed his name to fit in as so many of them did this. I've tried Millar, Brown, Mitchell all the usual names that were used but there are hundreds and it would cost a small fortune to keep d/loading these certs.

So i ask all of you wonderful people out there is anyone familiar with any families who were Lithuanian/Polish who changed there names? if so what did they change them too?

sincerely,

Katie

Hello Katie,

I remember browsing the poorhouse applications for your family. I never found a Polakus (or similar) but I'm pretty sure there were a couple of Pollo(c)k surnames from Lithuania. They may be worth a check just in case.

Kind regards,
Annette M

[paddyscar]

Hi Katie:

Like Catriona, I was going to suggest Pollock as a Scottish name.

There was also a Polish family in our Canadian neighbourhood who were named Pollock. Others include Poluck and Poluk.

Frances

[mcblondie]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your replies, I have tried using wild cards, and have found names like Paliokas on marriage certs and such, but unfortunately the grooms parents names (especially the mother) names don't match. On my grandfathers marr cert it says his father is Josas Palokas and Ona Palokas (m.s. Milunas) I think the proper way of spelling it should be Juozas and Ona (Miliunas). There was one person who's parents names were Juozas and Ona but the mother's maiden surname was totally different. So I'm not sure if the registrar just misheard the parents names or what?

Other thing, where can i find the poorhouse records that you were talking about? I'd love to see what they say, just incase it's a relation of mine.

Thanks again

[nelmit]

Hi everyone,

sipped......................................

Other thing, where can i find the poorhouse records that you were talking about? I'd love to see what they say, just incase it's a relation of mine.

Thanks again

Hello Katie,

The poor house applications are held at The Mitchell Library in Glasgow. They are always worth a wee check just in case. Some of them give loads of family information. Here is one page of my ggg grandfather's. http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/disp ... p?&pos=-69

You can read some transcriptions in the 'Institutions' section of the forum.
Kind regards,
Annette M

[mcblondie]

Thanks Annette,

I think i'll take a trip along to the Mitchell, I pass it often enough but have never been in it since I was a kid. My dad used to take us there often.

I don't think they'll be registered in the poorhouse as I'm lead to believe that they worked in the coal mines and then my g. uncle became a tailor or in that field, but you just never know.

Thanks again

Best wishes
Katie

[lesley.frame]

Hi Katie
I'm having the same problems. My partners family name was Szlapikas/slapikas, there were some of them in glasgow and some in Mossend Bellshill. The Bellshill ones were miners too.The Glasgow ones changed their names to Paterson and would you believe it-Smith, not very easy for us trying to unravel the past.The Bellshill ones mostly went to USA and the names were changed even more. If I can be of any help let me know. We visited Bellshill last week and went to the church they would all have attended- Holy Family, very beautiful and just as it was in the early 1900's. We found out that most of the Lithuanians were buried in Bothwellpark cemetery Uddingston and St Patricks New Stevenson, so I guess we are in for a bit of grave spotting. Good luck
lesley

[mcblondie]

Hi Lesley,

It's nevr easy is it? I contacted the Holy Family Church to see if anyone there could help me also, but most of the families that attend now are third generation and know very little of there families neighbours and friends of those days. I think what bothers me most is I'm not even sure if Palokas or any of the varients are our family name??? I have only to go on what was written down by the registrars and even then they only put down what they heard/mis-heard. Some of my rellies have mentioned the States and said that they had heard through the grapevine that this was a strong possibility but i guess i'll just have to wait till the 1911 census comes out to see if i can get anything from that. If you can give me more details on your side i'll see what i can come up with.

Best regards,

Katie

[DavidWW]

Hi mcblondie/Katie

This is one of the most intractable problems that I've previously come across.

It applies also to Polish immigrants.

Given the spelling and pronunciation of such surnames, it comes as no surprise that immigrants decided to simply the situation by changing their surname.

Sometimes this involved a tranliteration of the Lithuanian or Polish surname to English, i.e. a conversion to an English spelling of the surname involved, based on how it sounded to a Scottish/English ear. Scots of such descent, especially societies, can often advise.

Sometimes there was a direct translation of the meaning in Lithuanian or Polish of the occupational derivation of the surname.

Finally, and problematically, there was a situation involving a quite random choice of a new, "Scottish", surname ...........

All, however, is not lost, as, firstly, there may still be memories in the Lithuanian community in Scotland regarding such surname changes.

Secondly, in Scottish BMD records, it is quite common to find that someone's name is given as John SMITH or <Lithuanian surname>.

Lastly, the naturalisation records held by The National Archives at Kew, with an increasing amount of data accessible on line, may provide helpful information.........

David