TEG's Mr Smyth

[digitS']

@marshallsmyth , a news story for your family from the 8th or 9th century AD: link.

Here is the first news story of the discovery: link.

There will be more about it when the items go on display so we will all have time to learn Norwegian .

Steve
whose surname just might refer to the same occupation. but, then again, it might have something to do with printing ... either way, digitS'

 

[journey11]

Neat! Wouldn't you like to find something like that in your flowerbed.

 

[897tgigvib]

That's really cool!

Actually, my last name and pronunciation, (like Smith, not like Smythe), is from the Scots-Irish Gaelic.

My father's father had to learn English on board the slow ship that brought him from County Cavan Ireland to Ellis Island, New York. His father, my great grandfather, died on board the ship on the way over. But yes, the name does indeed mean "to smite with a tool". That usually meant as in a blacksmith, but also refered to several other occupations.
But alas, they were shepherds who were experts at raising Sheep for wool, and County Cavan had a whole lot of families whose occupation was making wool cloth. So there were a lot of weavers there.

O'hallighan you weave so O'riley. Callaghan you eirie this shannahan by the side of the Shannon to Mathilde's tilly O'rourke? Nay, but ask the smithee after yonder blarney is kissed upside down on yer backside gazing at the stars above.

 

[digitS']

Dooant theur chuffin' think a ... umm. Don't you really think that things are likely to have changed with the English control and the Industrial Revolution, Marshall? But, then again, all it took was one individual to set the surname choice. Offspring may or may not 'ed ta folla suit. Err ... had the same choice.

I talked a little to Sumi about this since a famous countryman had about the same name as Grandpa digitS'. The South African historians don't know how that family got the name, however! Something happened on the boat heading for Kaap de Goede Hoop!

Shoot! Anyway. The origins of names are fun! I know Fosters ... it really tickles me to think about that. But, don't you think that it is likely that within a few generations we would all find a red-headed stepchild as our ancestor? I have shirttail relatives named Deutschman. Okay. But, when an aunt would go on about Germany I wanted to look askant at her and ask, "What possible value was it for someone in Germany to be known as Deutschman?" I mean, if the family was living somewhere outside of Germany, it might make sense for someone to say that he was Hans the Deutschman.

That's one reason why I don't know about great Grandpa digitS'. Was he really from somewhere the people did not speak English or might his family have have been in the UK for centuries before he showed up in the British Colonies, or ... could he have just been apprenticed to workmen who spoke Dutch?

Steve