Re: McClenny/McCluny/McClung/McClaney?
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In reply to:
Re: McClenny/McCluny/McClung/McClaney?
7/14/01
Fact of history is that there was a far lower level of education in this country years ago.It is also true that hearing disorders were more prevalent and hardly any technology to remedy that nor were typanic myringotomies to performed to prevent hearing loss and the age of antibiotics had not yet begun either (meaning less ability to prevent very poor eyesight which can also result from what were then common unpreventable childhood diseases).Simply look at much older text books even in this century and you will probably find that the average person's having an 8th grade education long ago is below the equivalent of an 8th grade education today.Further back in history, little to no education was not uncommon in many parts of the U.S.
Therefor, one can expect to find alterations in surname spellings which do not indicate intents at insult but rather reflect the fact that illiteracy was so much more common and so were other problems.It can be further anticipated that fairly recent emigrants to the U.S. meeting with others less familliar with strong accents is another likely explanation as many clerks helped fill out papers.Deliberately altering a surname is not that uncommon either for a variety of reasons with a desire to simplify the last name probably being a common reason.