Dear Listers
Any explanation of the following would be appreciated:
My G GM was known as Louisa Anna Maria Weidemann to me. The Hamburg Ship
List for the "Union" that left Hamburg in 1857 shows her as such, as do all
records found after her arrival. However, Film 0069378 of Neubukow church
records at the FHL showed me she was born to Johann Wilhelm Mathias Weimann
of Rackow and his wife Maria Catharine Magdalena Glöde. Louisa's
confirmation record on the same film also showed me the Weimann spelling. I
noticed, however, that there were others using the Weidemann spelling in the
Neubukow area, so I am confused.
"Thank you" for any help you can offer.
DeLorris Rekoske
Names just changed over time and possibly due to most folks being illiterate
and did not know how their own names were spelled, so whomever wrote the
document spelled it often as it was pronounced or maybe they had seen a name
similar to the one being spoken to them and went with that spelling. I am
not as sure of the reasons as I am definite about name changes over time.
Here are at least a few to show you have different they can become:
Gehrls
Kanzier
Jennerjahn
Techen
Gest
And of course even siblings in same family later on did not keep the same
spelling of their own family names, so most often in these cases you have to
have christening/confirmation/marriage/death records to show/prove that this
is indeed the same individual in some circumstances. But from what you
listed I believe that you have the right family.
Sincerely,
Robert Albert Jr.