The significance of Middle names

[JAKnighton]

My 4x great grandmother, Harriet Buckingham, was originally married to a Lindsey Smith. She had a son with him, named Lindzey Smith. Why the spelling is different I don't know. Anyway, Lindsey Smith died and Harriet married Robert Feaviour, my 4x great grandfather.

They had one son, my 3x great grandfather Robert Linsey Feaviour. Once again, the name is spelled differently. He in turn had a son, named Robert Lindzey Feaviour. And then HE had a son named Lindsay Robert Feaviour! It seems they were determined to spell the name differently each time they used it. Just bizarre.

[mgf]

I've recently come across a family where the females were given their own maiden name as a middle name -- so (not the real names!) Jane Smith Jones, née Smith, was the mother of Jane Jones Jones, Ann Jones Jones, etc. Seems they were determined that the girls would keep their birth surname by hook or by crook!!