Surname, spelling and pronunciation makes all the difference

I thought a quick mention of surnames, spellings and pronunciations may not go amiss.

Both the Roman Catholic baptismal entries and the UK Government birth registrations and census returns have various and varied spellings for Kemmett in the 1800s. The now accepted spelling stabilizes in the late 1800s/early 1900s when universal literacy hits an all time high. Until then the pronunciation of the surname and lack of literacy obviously affected the recorded version.

Comparing the R.C. baptism entries with the online government birth registrations we end up with quite a selection of surnames for both James Kemmett senior and mother Catherine Roddy. 

Both James senior and Catherine were born in Ireland but were registering their children’s births in Wolverhampton; both areas being renowned for strong and distinctive accents. 

Below are the surnames from the children's baptism entries and alongside in red the spelling from the online GRO* site.

First name	Baptism entry	GRO entry	Baptism entry	GRO entry
Elizabeth	Kimid	Kimmet	Ruddy	Ruddy
Honor/Anna/Ann	Kimmid	Kimmit	Ruddy	Redy
Jane	Kemmet	Kemmett	Roddey	Roddey
James (b.1859)	Kimed	Kimet	Ready	no entry
James (b.1860)	Kimmit	Kimet	Roddy	no entry
William	Kimmit	Kemmett	Ruddy	Reddy

To cap it all James (junior) submitted a National Insurance form in 1912 in which the section asking for his mother's maiden name was filled out as follows:


 



*GRO = General Register Office