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Help with alternative spelling of surname

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Angela

Angela Report 8 Apr 2008 20:00

Hi All,

I have a copy of a marriage entry for George Donaldson and Sarah HEALLANCE 1789 Shoreditch Middlesex/London (Found on IGI and also have the original). The surname of Sarah is without doubt spelt HEALLANCE on the certificate.

I can't find any reference to this surname anywhere, I'm not even sure it is a surname. I have come to the conclusion that it was spelt wrong at the time when the certificate was written.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what her surname might have been, as I have been going over and over it and still haven't come up with anything...

Thanks for all your help.
Kind regards
Angela

Merlin38

Merlin38 Report 8 Apr 2008 20:10

Wonder if it was hyphenated - HEAL-LANCE?

Chris in Sussex

Chris in Sussex Report 9 Apr 2008 07:17

To find alternative spellings I use British Origins for a free search.

http://www.britishorigins.com/

Put the surname in the search box.
Select close or all variants from the drop down box.
Click search.
The next page shows the 'surname + close/all variants'.
Click on 'close/all variants'
A pop up box will appear giving the known variants for the name in the range of close or all, depending on which you originally selected.

I tried Heallance and nothing came up at all which is very unusual. Nothing also for Hellance but Halance + close variants gave these.

halance
Hallance
Haylance
Halence
Hallence
Helence
Halanes
Hellence

The site is a subscription site but it does say there are census and marriage records for these variants so may be worth checking the alternative surnames out on Ancestry.

Chris

Angela

Angela Report 9 Apr 2008 16:08

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will give them all a try and see if I can move on with this.

Thanks again
Angela