(Spelling, Pg 4)

Spelling was phonetically-based
in the past.  Spelling rules were fluid then,
not fixed like today.

My family name is spelled Crosslin now, but it was spelled Crossland before about 1750 in Virginia.  These two spellings - and several similar spellings - were used almost interchangeably over the next 70 years or so, until, finally, Crosslin became the spelling used exclusively (which was not until after the American Civil War).

The change from Crossland to Crosslin came about because of "fluid" spelling practices that prevailed back then (c1750), not because of choice or decision by one of my ancestors.  Most of those ancestors were probably not particularly literate and probably were not aware a spelling transformation was taking place.

Even if family members were aware of the transformation, they probably would were not concerned because, to them, the name was unchanged, just spelt differently.

A minister of a parish in Colonial Virginia was probably the person most responsible for the change.  The Reverend Mr. William Willie, Rector of the several churches of Albemarle Parish of Surry and Sussex Counties, faithfully recorded my family's name in the parish register and vestry book many times during the years between 1742 and 1775.

At first, Mr. Willie spelled the name Crossland, which is the way it had been spelt previously, possibly for hundreds of years previously.  As years passed, he drifted to other, phonetically similar spelling forms, Crosslin most often.  During the same period, Clerks of the Surry and Sussex County Courts also first spelled the name Crossland.  Then later, toward the end of the century, they too began using other, phonetically similar spellings, Crosslin most often.  The Clerks probably gave final impetus to the use of Crosslin which became the spelling my family uses today.

So was the change from Crossland to Crosslin the result of conscious decision or systematic action?  No, not at all!  Were Crosslands of the time (c1750) even aware a change was taking place in the spelling of their family name?  Not likely. The record evidence is clear on this.

It should be noted that Crosslands were not being singled out by Mr. Willie.  During the 40 year course of his ministry, Mr. Willie varied the spelling of the names of many of his parishioners and even spelled his own name differently from time to time.  The spelling variations were always phonetically correct, however, even if not always literally correct according to today's spelling standards.

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