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Re: Accuracy of birth records



This discussion of misspelled names caused me to remember a famous version
of a name being spelled wrong. Ophra Winfrey's name was supposed to be
Orpha.  I doubt if SHE wants to change it at this time of her life.  But I
can sympathize with those of you who are trying to get names changed.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Janet Wendt
Janet M. Wendt, C.A.
Technical Services Archivist
Oregon State University Archives
94 Kerr Administration Building
Corvallis, OR  97331-2103
Telephone: 541-737-2165
Direct line: 541-737-4050
Fax: 541-737-0541
email: Janet.Wendt@orst.edu


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arlette Copeland [SMTP:Copeland_A@MERCER.EDU]
> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 12:19 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: Accuracy of birth records
>
> A similar thing happened in my family history. My father was listed as
> P.L. without a name. According to family lore, he was later assigned names
> to go with the initials. He was the 10th child in the family and his
> father died two years later of a heart condition.  The family dispersed
> within a few years with the older children getting married, moving
> out-of-state, etc. His mother, who was left in the mid-1930s with a small
> farm and doctor bills, allowed my father to live with various
> family/friends so what really happened with this is up for grabs.
>
> My son, who is 17, now has a middle name that was his father's and the
> spelling is incorrect because the person typing the birth certificate made
> a mistake that wasn't corrected. My son's grandfather's middle name was
> Ervie (and his father was named Ervie). The person typing the birth
> certificate for my son's father wrote "Erive." That family's records and
> relationships disintegrated because my son's great-grandfather was killed
> when the grandfather was a toddler. My son's father thought his name was
> spelled ERIVE. Only a few years ago did we find out from my son's
> grandfather that the name was spelled Ervie on his birth certificate. He
> didn't know the mistake had been made on his son's birth certificate. So
> now this name which has at least four generations has a name change due to
> a typo made in 1952. I wish I'd checked the previous generations. My son
> would appreciate it!
>
> I agree with Linda:  Be skeptical.
>
> -- Arlette Copeland
> Special Collections
> Jack Tarver Library, Mercer University
> Macon, Ga.
> (912) 301-2968
>
>
> Linda C. Morrison wrote:
>
>        Paul Bergeron has some good points about the accuracy of birth
> records.
>       When I went to Dummerston, VT and asked to see my grandmother's
> birth
>       record, I was shown an entry that read "Elise" instead of "Elsie."
> {A.
>       Barrett] By the time of my childhood she didn't like the name Elsie,
> but she
>       was always known by that name.  The misspelling is a legitimate
> name,
>       though, and someone correcting obvious mistakes wouldn't catch it.
> It was a
>       handwritten record; 1888.
>           You can't assume anything is accurATE, always  be skeptical!!
>       Linda Morrison, Boston area.
>
>

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