I wish I could go back in time.

[MrsLizzy]

I'd ask Mary:

What does your middle initial "C." stand for?  Is it a family surname? Why do you insist on abbreviating it in every document over a lifetime?

Maybe it was one of those hideously embarrassing names - I remember in Elizabeth Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters", two characters caused some mild mirth by being called Hyacinth (mother) and Cynthia (daughter).

[Simon G.]

Perhaps she's just like I am.  Although my middle name is James, I always put it down as J. unless I'm specifically asked to put my full name.  It's hard to explain, 'cause it's not like I dislike my middle name...I just like to abbreviate it to differentiate myself from the 4 or 5 consecutive generations of my family that had James as part of their name.  It's just a personal preference.

[MrsLizzy]

Yes Carol, and she was only three when she was orphaned, brought up by her mother's side of the family and never knew anything about her dad or his family.  She was 70 by the time I found her, and the lovely part is that her first cousins had been looking for her for a long time.

My Dad is her second cousin, she too lives in Australia and we met at CHristmas...and I can see a family resemblance.  My Mum even said she has the same eyes as my Dad's granny (who was her grand-dad's sister).

Nina

that sounds very like my mum's story except no happy ending - so far.

[erthomas]

i never write out my full middle name if i can avoid it, i think my mom started that habbit as she wont write my middle name out either as i am named after her mother in law (whom she isnt very fond of)

erin

[pete edwards]

wish I could go back about 2 minutes, ( just burnt my tea, poached egg on toast ) reading this site,

Pete.

[smeghead]

I would not bother with all this just back to Wednesday am where I would do the lottery with the winning numbers and come back to day to collect my winnings wow no more work just plenty of tme to do my family tree

Jim