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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: Tunbridge on Friday 31 January 14 19:59 GMT (UK)
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My 4th grt grandmother was born 1755-1765 Lanark, Lanark, and died 1821 Midlothian. At least, I (think) these particulars refer to Mary TORRANCE/TORRENCE (married to William BELL). My question - is the name Mary/Margaret interchangeable? The only logical entries for both birth and death refer to this lady as Mary and/or Margaret; all other information agrees.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Pat
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Hi Pat
Just adding link to your other post here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=676000.0 so we do not have duplication of effort by people trying to help with both posts.
Monica
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I have never come across these names as interchangeable. The only possibility (and I have seen this) is for a transcriber to misread "Margt" as "Mary". If you have seen the original documents and one says "Margaret" and the other "Mary", a poor transcription is ruled out.
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Thank you for you suggestion. It is a very good likelihood that indeed, the transcription might have been in error and Mary is in fact Margt. I will have a second look.
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I've come across Mary/Margaret as interchangeable a number of times while being 100% sure that they were the same person. Mary/Marion, Martha/Mary also seem common.
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Hi All,
Have a look at this link,
http://www.whatsinaname.net/female-names/Marg.html
Does mention the mis-transcription.
Tom
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Many thanks - it appears I have much more checking/research to do.
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I've come across Mary/Margaret as interchangeable a number of times while being 100% sure that they were the same person. Mary/Marion, Martha/Mary also seem common.
Marion/Marian/Marianne/Mary Ann are all variants of Mary, no problem there.
However I reckon that confusion between Margaret and Mary, or between Martha and Mary, has to arise out of some sort of mistake in recording or transcription. I would certainly not describe either as 'common'.
I have seen just one incidence of confusion between Mary and Margaret that I could not trace back to poor record-keeping, and I have never seen an incidence of confusion between Martha and Mary. Nor would I expect to - I am sure that the biblical story of Martha and Mary would have been far too well known to most people for them to imagine that the two names are equivalent.
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My thanks - in this instance, it would appear the consensus is that it is more likely an error in transcription (Mary/Margt) and I have more work to do.
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What do you all think?
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Yes, I have a copy of this death for "Mary" Torrance, however I was hoping to determine the first name as one or the other, as other records I have looked at appear to be Margaret/Margt/Marg, and are possibilities as connections with my family. Many thanks for your help.
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What do you all think?
Assuming you mean what is her given name, Mary.
Not sure about the immediately following word, however.