In some cases that may not be helpful because given the twenty-plus year span in the births of James' sons, there could be sons of James and grandsons of James with the same name who were not very far apart in age. There could be an uncle and two (or more first cousins) with the same name who were close enough in age to be confused with each other.
When I was in grade school, maybe 8 or 9 yrs old, a boy in my class told me that he had an uncle who was younger than him...an infant or toddler, so in big families I guess it can easily happen!
ReplyDeleteMy wife's family tree has over 57 William Countryman. Not including William's born from daughters.
ReplyDeleteEven "worse" if they come from a country that had pretty strict patrynomic naming conventions!!! I thought it was bad with my great great grandfather, David Rees, who was the first of SIX sons of David Rees. Of course all six named their first son David and their second son Thomas (after the mother's father)! Most confusing!
ReplyDeleteIt was awful in the days of rural mail delivery. The only way to tell who's mail it was when they lived on the same rural route was to deliver it to the first one that live on the route. The mail courier did their best and then it was up to the recipient to figure it out. This still goes on in some places where they do not put on the 911 numbers.
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