McCarley: Is there a right way to spell it?

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 15  (April 12-18)

Prompt: How do you spell that?

#52ancestors

 “Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination.”

― Mark Twain

 My Mother's maiden name was McCarley and I have found it spelled in so many ways that I learned very early in my research to look for every possible spelling.  I'll list some of the spellings at the end of the article but first I want to tell you about Charles M. McCarley.  Charles married Ann Matilda Hines in Maury County, Tennessee on April 4, 1835.  His marriage license has McCarley spelled 4 different ways in the one document.  That has to be a record.  It is spelled McCarley, McCarly, McCearly, and McCorely.  Okay, some of that may be the result of poor handwriting skills. The Western Weekly Review newspaper announced his marriage in the April 17, 1835 edition, as Mr. Charles McCarty married Miss Matilda Hines.

  In most of the records after his marriage, his last name is spelled McCurley.  That could be the result of leaving the A open at the top.  I thought, perhaps he just wrote the A in an unusual way that left that gap at the top so it looks like a U.

 Then one day in talking with another descendant, I heard another reason for this change in spelling.  According to this descendant who grew up in the area where he lived as an adult, Charles M. McCarley changed his name to McCurley. It seems that Charles was so mad at another relative that he decided to change his name so he wouldn't be associated with "that relative".  The story passed down through the family didn't include the name of "that relative".  His children didn't change their names as each of their lines are McCarleys.

 As you search for your ancestor, brainstorm any possible way that a name can be spelled because it is likely to be used that way at least once in the indexed records.

 Of course, it is easier to say that the James McCerley who was charged and found guilty of keeping a bawdy house in Maury County, TN in 1849  is not my relative because we don't spell our name that way.  Although it is possible that James McCerley is Charles M. McCarley/McCurley's brother.  Maybe he is the reason Charles changed the spelling of his name.   Charles brother, James, was born in 1811.

 McArley

McAuley

McCarley

McCarly

McCarty

McCauley

McCearly

McCearley (probably from having a fancy curl at the bottom of the C)

McClearly

McCorely

McCurly

McEarly

McEley

McElry

 McKirley