Gabriel or Gilbert?
Kiltie8703
>From: jbd...@aol.com (JBD210)
>Date: 4/30/99 8:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>Message-id: <19990430235836...@ng03.aol.com>
>
>I am researching Paterson from Scotland and have found the family over there
>and over here in United States, but somehow the father's name changed on the
>boat! from Gabriel on all his records like marriage, children's births, etc.
>
>But becomes Gilbert on the ship and on all future census records here. Does
>anyone out there have an explanation? Is this a common name exchange?
>
>
>
Hi, Kiltie here. I checked to see if there might be a connection in the
translation of Gabriel from perhaps Gaelic to English. I checked the Derivation
of Gabriel but all I could find was that the name was recorded in Paradise Lost
by Milton, who was the "Chief of the angelic guards. From the Hebrew,' meaning
man of El'. There's a record of it use in Scotland as a forename in Edinburgh
in 1599. Black in his Surnames of Scotland states that he read somewhere that
the family of Gabriel of Aberdeen is descended from a Gabriel Grant, but no
such person appears in Sie William Fraser's Chief's of Grant. The name Gilbert
in Gaelic is Gillebart or Gillebride, St. Bridget's gille(St. Bridget's
servant) in french Gilbert, in Anglo Saxon it's Giselbert meaning Bright
Hostage.
Paterson in Scots Kith & Kin is shown as derived from MacPhedran, also
MacPatrick. It is shown as a sept of Farquharson. MacPhedran is shown as the
Loch Fyne branch of MacAulay, also of the LochAwe branch of Campbell.
MacPatrick is shown as a sept of Lamont, and both MacPhedran and Paterson are
shown. It is also shown as a sept of MacLaren. There MacPatrick , Patrick and
Paterson are shown.
Clan Finder(Keyword Clans) shows that Paterson is a sept of five Clans as
follows.
Firstly Campbell where MacPhedran and Paterson are listed.
Secondly Farquharson, where Paterson is shown as a sept.
Lamont where Paterson and Patrick are listed
Lennox, (no septs shown) but MacAuley a sept of Lennox Clan, MacPhedran and
Paterson are listed
Finally Clan MacLaren where Paterson and Patrick are listed.
In Surnames of Scotland, Black says that Paterson, Patterson are Scottish
forms of "Patrick's son or Patrickson and one of the commonest Scottish
surnames. The native home of the Clan Pheadirean(patersons) was on the North
side of Lochfyne where they were formerly numerous. See also under MacPatrick).
Patterdale in Westmoreland was formerly Patrickdale, the dale or valley of
Patrick. Records of Patrison and Patonson as witnesses in Aberdeen in 1446.
Many different spellings over the years. ( see page 649 of Surnames of
Scotland.) Half page of and dates till about 1700 with various spellings. It
evidently was a William Paterson(1658-1719) who authored the ill-fated Darien
Scheme and the originator of the plan of the Bank Of England.Bye for now and
Good Hunting, Kilti...@AOL.com
Ed & Joyce Thomas
> I am researching Paterson from Scotland and have found the family over there
> and over here in United States, but somehow the father's name changed on the
> boat! from Gabriel on all his records like marriage, children's births, etc.
> But becomes Gilbert on the ship and on all future census records here. Does
> anyone out there have an explanation? Is this a common name exchange?
No one can imagine how names got changed by the immigration officials. They
spelled phonetically what they heard. You can imagine how someone, with a strong
accent would sound.
Also it may be a good chance to change your name and start a new life. Many of
these immigrants didn't know how to spell so they took whatever spelling was
given to them.
Tiss
Charles R. Kaiser
Ed & Joyce Thomas wrote:
> No one can imagine how names got changed by the immigration officials. They
> spelled phonetically what they heard. You can imagine how someone, with a strong
> accent would sound.
> Also it may be a good chance to change your name and start a new life. Many of
> these immigrants didn't know how to spell so they took whatever spelling was
> given to them.
>
> Tiss
I am reminded of a story that was told to me by a Chinese friend of
mine. He had a friend who's name was Sam Ting. How did he get such a
name? When he was going through the immigration line he was standing
behind a gentleman who had the same name. When asked his name by the
immigration official, he pointed at the man who had just been processed
and said "Same Thing."
--
Charles R. Kaiser
"Vincere Vel Mori"
"Buaidh No Bas"
Any way you say it, it's "Conquer or Die"