Use of "Mac" or "son"

[Highland Logan]

This has come up before on the board. Although I can no longer find the referance, there was a fellow who wrote his name with three verations to prove the point in the 1700's I beleive. Mac, Mc and M'. The shortening of the Mac from what I gathered was all due to the fad of abreaviateing to move things along.

Frank

[Chas]

Hello All,

Until relatively recently spelling was an adventure rather than a fixed rule. Read any lengthy pre-Victorian monument; the same word is often spelled differently throughout the text. Remember as well that the vast majority of the population could not read nor write. They could, of course, copy what they saw - mistakes and all.

When I joined the RAF in 1970, I was designated as the official signer for a fellow airman who could neither read nor write. I am Charles-Dunne and he was Charlton. At weekly pay parade, I would sign for and receive my wages and would then wait till Charlton 'made his mark'. I would then sign my name again next to his mark with the annotation 'AC Charlton - his mark'.

One last little point, there are only 9 existing copies of William Shakespear's signature - each one is spelled differently. One, he even signs himself a William Shakeshaft. If the "Bard of Avon" can't even spell his own name correctly what hope is there for the rest of us?

Regards

Chas

[gilmore]

Hello All,

Until relatively recently spelling was an adventure rather than a fixed rule. Read any lengthy pre-Victorian monument; the same word is often spelled differently throughout the text. Remember as well that the vast majority of the population could not read nor write. They could, of course, copy what they saw - mistakes and all.

When I joined the RAF in 1970, I was designated as the official signer for a fellow airman who could neither read nor write. I am Charles-Dunne and he was Charlton. At weekly pay parade, I would sign for and receive my wages and would then wait till Charlton 'made his mark'. I would then sign my name again next to his mark with the annotation 'AC Charlton - his mark'.

One last little point, there are only 9 existing copies of William Shakespear's signature - each one is spelled differently. One, he even signs himself a William Shakeshaft. If the "Bard of Avon" can't even spell his own name correctly what hope is there for the rest of us?

Regards

Chas

At the times in question it was not at all a matter of spelling correctly or incorrectly. That was a concept that did not exist until the popularization of dictionaries and public education in the early 19th century. Before then everyone spelled words as they said them or heard them, according to their own lights.

It wasn't that writers copied mispellings. It was that they recorded the sounds of words as they understood them.

[sirdaniel1975]

Ok,
Here's another question, my understanding is that "Mac" means son of. I sort of assumed that all Scots would have been the son of someone, therefore, why are there some Scottish names that do not carry this. For instance, Scotland appears to have lots of Millers, the last name I would have thought of as Scottish (my father always insisted it was). In any case, why are there no "MacMillers" or Millersons or some such derivation.

Anyone know how this works?

Thanks,

There is something I think you should know…….

The Surnames of Scotland by George F. Black

Page 544

MACMILLAR, `son of (the) miller,’ or of a man named Millar. William M’Miller was a witness at Hammyltoune, 1551 (Protocols, I). Donald McMillar to pay the town a certain sum for “the libertie of ane stallinger” in 1609 (Rec. Inv., II, p.73). A “stallinger” is defined as “one who pays rent for a market-stall; a person, not a freeman, who, for a consideration to his corporation, is allowed to carry on business for a year.” Callum M’Myllar was a vassal of Glenurquhay in 1638 (BBT., p. 403).

Page 600

MILLAR, Miller. A surname derived from the occupation of miller, ME. Millere. It appears in all parts of the country as every burgh had its miller at whose mill the corn of the neighborhood was ground. Millar is the more common Scottish form of the name. An inquest was held in the castle of Dumfries in the reign of Alexander III on the death of Adam Molendinarius, but probably Millar or Miller did not become a hereditary surname till a much later period (Stodart, II, p. 388). Ade molendinarius, a ‘man’ of the bishop of Moray, had a remission and protection, 1364 (REM., p. 164). Henricus Molendinam `of the mill’ was witness to a document of 1401 (Cambus., p. 21), John and Henry Millare were jurors on an inquest anent fishing on the Tweed in 1467 (RD., p. 461), and James Molendinarius held a tenement in Glasgow in 1481 (LCD., p. 193). Margaret Myllar was tenant of the bishop of Glasgow in 1509 (Rental), and in 1540 Robert Millare held land in Irvine (Irvine, I, p. 167). Mydlar 1551, Melir 1745, Mylar 1513, Myllair 1511, Myllare.

[sirdaniel1975]

More I think you should know....

From the 1841 census in Scotland:


Agnes McMiller abt 1796 Argyll, Scotland Campbeltown Argyll 507


Agnes McMiller abt 1786 Argyll, Scotland Kilcalmonell Argyll 516


Agnes McMiller abt 1836 Lanarkshire, Scotland Barony Middle Calton Lanarkshire 622


Agnes McMiller abt 1796 Lanarkshire, Scotland Barony Lanarkshire 622


Agnes McMiller abt 1823 Scotland Gorbals Lanarkshire 644/2


Agnes McMiller abt 1823 Ireland Edinburgh New North Midlothian 685/1


Agness McMiller abt 1831 Ayrshire, Scotland Kilmarnock Ayrshire 597


Agness McMiller abt 1801 Scotland Kilwinning Ayrshire 599


Agness McMiller abt 1839 Scotland Kilwinning Ayrshire 599


Agness McMiller abt 1826 Ireland Paisley Low Renfrewshire 559


Alexander McMiller abt 1816 Inverness, Scotland Urquhart and Glenmoriston Inverness 107



This is but a sample of the name with that spelling from that 1841 census..

[sirdaniel1975]

Some more:1841 census

Andrew McMillar abt 1806 Midlothian, Scotland Edinburgh Iron Church Midlothian 685/1


James McMillar abt 1821 Scotland Glasgow Brownfield Lanarkshire 644/1


Janet McMillar abt 1825 Lanarkshire, Scotland Lesmahagow Lanarkshire 649


John McMillar abt 1816 Lanarkshire, Scotland Avondale Lanarkshire 621


John McMillar abt 1833 Lanarkshire, Scotland Glasgow St Mungo Lanarkshire 644/1


John McMillar abt 1829 Midlothian, Scotland Newton Midlothian 696

[Sammac]

Sometimes because of family squabbles, people changed spellings slightly to differentiate themselves.

[jrmiller]

Guys,
I am blown away! I feel as if I have tapped into some roots, thanks!

McMiller, hmm.....I think I like that.

I have changed my avatar to a swatch of the Miller tartan. Also, loaded my face up into the profile.

Thanks for all your help with this, as Americans, you really get disconnected from your roots. As one with the name Miller, it's difficult to look back. Dad always said our Millers hailed from Scotland, I didn't give it much thought at the time.