May 2022 Mini Class

May 21, 2022

Join us for a short discussion topic before the main monthly meeting.

This month’s topic is: “Surname Slip-Ups: Baffling Beginnings” by Carol Baxter (a RootsTech Connect 2021 Video).

Beware of surname complacency! We tend to think of our ancestors’ surnames as written words. However, if our ancestors were illiterate, their surnames were in fact groups of spoken sounds converted into letters by a scribe based on his knowledge or whims.

Mishearings or misspellings of a surname’s first sound create the greatest problems for genealogists. This seminar, Surname Slip-Ups: Baffling Beginnings, is a gateway to opening your ears for new ways in which you can locate your ancestral surnames.

Carol Baxter has a degree in linguistics and understands the sounds of surnames. She has also worked for years as a transcriber for a major Australian genealogical project and understands the problems associated with transcribing the letters of surnames. Her access to linked entries relating to the same individuals, and her astonishment at the weird variants she found for these individuals’ surnames, led her to write books and give talks on the subject of surname slip-ups.

Following the video, there may be time for discussion.

Members Only. Watch Your Email for the registration link.