Spelling Smith in Southern Louisiana

Question

I found this quotation in Sunshine and Shadow: A History of the Goodbee and Edwards Families in Southeastern Louisiana, by Shirley M. Cowart and Glenn C. Cowart (1995), page 235. (Available online at Familysearch.) I don't have any Smith relatives from Louisiana, but I thought it was interesting.

Two hundred years ago, this region was a hodge-podge of cultures and tongues. The early French settlers made half-hearted attempts to understand the native Indians, and did not hesitate to impart French derivative names to places whenever it suited their needs. The influx of German names completely baffled the French. Traeger became Treger, and Vicner gave way to Vicknair. The Spanish placed heavy reliance on phonetic spelling. Common English names like Smith and Goodby became almost unrecognizable as "Esmit" and "Gudvi" respectively.

Spanish priests, with the best of intentions, prepared church records that have confused more than a few genealogists.  It was just such sacramental records that brought an element of myster, and more than a little frustration, to our own research when we uncovered baptismal records for the children of Margaret Smith and Morgan Evans.

Daughters Margaret and Mary Louise were baptized on April 5, 1793. Son Charles Morgan was baptized on April 17, 1798. Extracts from the baptismal records of Saint Louis Cathedral show the parents as "Morgon Eduardo, a native of Ireland, and Margarita Smitte Of Neuvo Llorca" (New York). Some entries spell their names as Esmit; in others, it is shown as Hesmit.

Answer 1

I had to smile reading this. Just about all of my many French and Acadian lines go back to the 1600s but throw in a few English, Irish or Scots and the brick walls appear. Ocremont-2 is a case in point. A pressing question is what Elizabeth's surname was. Ocremont, Oeremeant, Occro-man, Ocromen; O'Cromen, AKamane, Ackmann, DeRemeant, Riman, Bethsy O'Conner, Eckert,  Wekerm, Foreman, are some spellings in the records found in Virginia and Louisiana. She married William Rowan-seems simple enough but here are spellings found in south Lousiana church records for Rowan: Rowan, Rowen, Roan, Rouane, Rohoue, Roane, Roinne, Romen, Boone, Roanne, Rohan, Riman, Rowean, Roen, Rouen, Royan, Bowan, Arwin, Ronene, Rouenne, Roccaine, Ronane, Rohanne, Roucine, Honore.

Without an plausible spelling, I can't find where they came from before immigrating to present-day USA.

Comments

Thanks for answer. Now I'm glad I went to the trouble of posting it.