Why did Carol Baxter write Help! Why can't I find my ancestor's surname?
When Carol was linking entries for the same individuals as part of her employment with the Biographical Database of Australia, she realised something startling. Almost every surname had at least one spelling variant, and many of those variants would not be located by the average genealogist because they lacked enough knowledge about the sounds and letters of the English language.
For example, would it occur to you to look for Vauzaker if you were researching Fonseca? Vauzaker is actually a logical variant of Fonseca if you know what to look for.
Carol's unique knowledge about British and Irish surnames allowed her to make these connections. So she decided to explain the logic behind these odd variants in a way that would help genealogists find their own odd variants.
Why does Carol have a unique knowledge about surnames?
Carol's knowledge about surnames is multi-faceted.
She has a university degree majoring in linguistics, which is the science of language focusing on phonetics, syntax, semantics, and so on. Thus, she understands the sounds of the English language.
She worked for years as a transcriber of Australian colonial records, which mostly documented British and Irish convicts. Thus, she understands the difficulties associated with interpreting the letters of British and Irish surnames.
She linked database entries for the same individuals listed in different records as part of her role as general editor of the Biographical Database of Australia (BDA). That's how she found the Fonseca/Vauzaker variant.
She was able to draw on this database in her search for examples of common and uncommon surname variants.
Finally, she combined all of this knowledge in her surname books and genealogy lessons.
The next time I am stuck on how to think of another way to spell someone's name I will be reaching for Help! Why Can't I Find My Ancestor's Surname?
Shauna Hicks History Enterprises
Help!
Why can't I find my
ancestor's surname?
Help!
Why can't I find my ancestor's surname?
Australian purchases
RRP: $AUD 27.50
Website price:
$AUD 19.50
International purchases
How often have you sat looking at a historical register or in front of a computer screen expecting to see your ancestor’s surname only to discover that it’s not there? You check every spelling you can think of without success then give up the search unaware that the entry is there but that you lack enough knowledge about English letters and sounds to find it.
Help! Why can’t I find my ancestor’s surname? is the solution to your problem.
- It describes the distortions that can occur between the time your ancestor thinks about saying his or her surname to the time you search for the surname in an online index.
- It explains that these distortions are rarely random and it displays sound charts and surnames tables showing how and why they occur.
- It includes lists of spellings for every letter and sound—as many as two dozen for a single vowel sound in some instances.
- And it provides guidelines you can follow to help find those elusive surnames.
This book is a gateway to a new world. Once you have read it, you will think about surnames in a completely different way.
No longer will you be flailing in the dark, making stabs at spelling possibilities. When you follow its instructions, you will find that some of those previously abandoned surname searches are now successful.
Two item discount deal
Australian purchases
RRP: $AUD 35.00
Website price:
$AUD 23.00
International purchases
Help!
Surnames
"cheat sheet"
Help!
Surnames
"cheat sheet"
Australian purchases
RRP: $AUD 7.50
Website price:
$AUD 6.00
International purchases
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