Alias on the OPR

Joan · Post by **Joan** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:01 pm

I wonder if anyone can throw any light on why an entry on a 1798 Lethendy Parish record would mention an alias?

My 4xgt grandfather's 1st born arrived 2 years before the wedding took place, this "scandal" is referred to in the record of the birth of the child (Jean Fraser)

The record of birth also refers to the mother as "Mary Gow alias Bruce, daughter of William Gow alias Bruce"

The only thought I could come up with is that William is a 'natural' child of someone named Bruce??

I can't find any Mary Gow/Bruce or William Gow/Bruce records that would help. I do have records where she goes on to have more children with ancestor John Fraser and the confusion with her surname remains, sometimes Gow is used sometime Bruce.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:15 pm

More likely that there were an awfy lot of GOWs in the parish, so that they adopted the surname BRUCE to distinguish them from other GOWs.

A very common situation, analagous to the Welsh practice of Jones the Milkman, etc., etc., except that Scots used another surname instead of the occupation (in English at least, in the Gaelic it can be different.)

David

Joan · Post by **Joan** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:25 pm

Thanks David

Just when you think you know the names you have been searching for they always throw a spanner in the works.

Joan