Re: Am I really Major Stuart Nimmons III?
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In reply to:
Am I really Major Stuart Nimmons III?
8/30/00
Here is my thought on this.My father has gone his whole life as James Lindsey Nimmons Jr.When he was close to 40 years old and needed a passport, he sent for a copy of his birth certificate for the first time.While birth certificates were filed long ago, they were less important and were used less often.His father had gone by the first name of Lindsey and after having been called Buddy as a boy, he began to use Lindsey when he came of age.He was rather shocked to find that his official birth certificate only stated his name as "James L. Nimmons Jr."
The parents had written James Lindsey Nimmons Jr. in the family bible, put it on all his school records, etc.But,there was poor clerical work when the birth certificate was filed.In the old day, people really didn't care that much.We have to remember things like the fact that there was no standardized spelling in the English language until about 1850, etc.
I would say that if your birth certificate says your father is Major Stuart Nimmons Jr. and gives your name as Major Stuart Nimmons III, then that is who you are.One thing that surprises me is that while I have heard we are "royal Stewarts" and the royal family did use Stuart, I thought all of our family spelled it Stewart.Oh well.(I guess see previous comment that until very recent times people would write it one way one time and a different way another.)