I have always been puzzled about where my grandfather’s middle name came from. His father was Fletcher Smith Porter and Bompop was Fletcher ‘Schley’ Porter. Through families like ours it was common for people’s names to reference and reinforce connections to past generations of folk. I did not realize that this naming convention had a formal structure. Our cousin, Jean Marshall, was the one who pointed this out to me. Looking on the internet I found several sites that discuss the issue. (I would point out that our family did not follow the pattern.)
The Irish pattern for naming children goes as follows: oldest son would be named after the father’s father (paternal grandfather), a second son would be named after the mother’s father (maternal grandfather), the oldest daughter would be named after the mother’s mother (maternal grandmother)A second daughter would receive the father’s mother’s name (paternal grandmother). If more male children arrived, the pattern continued. A third son would receive the father’s name. A fourth son might be named after the father’s oldest brother. If a fifth son was born, he might receive the name of his mother’s oldest brother. The pattern held for additional female children as well. A third daughter would have the name of the mother. A fourth daughter could receive the name of the mother’s oldest sister. And should there be a fifth daughter, she might be named for her father’s oldest sister.
The name “Schley” had puzzled Jean Marshall as well. She noted that in her research she had not found any family members or family connections involving Schley. As I am working on the Will Dodican book, I have been poking around social and cultural events at the beginning of the 20th Century, among them the Spanish American War. While going through the Wikipedia posts on the conflict, I came across a description of the US Naval campaigns against the Spanish Esquadron. I had known that Admiral Sampson (many family members have wondered about a family connection there) was the leader of our naval forces, but had not realized that Winfield Scott Schley, Rear Admiral under Sampson, had been hailed as the hero of the battle of Santiago de Cuba in 1898. Our grandfather was born in July 1897, so sadly, I concluded that his middle name was unlikely to have come from that source. When I told this story to Jean Marshall, however, she suggested that it would not be unusual to have had his middle name added or amended at the age of one because of Schley’s victory.
The key to deciding, she noted, would likely be a look at a birth or baptismal certificate. Neither of those appear to be available. Which Jean Marshall also said wasn’t unusual for South Carolina at the time. The puzzle still sits on the table unanswered. But I lean toward thinking that the Admiral Schley explanation is likely. You all can have your own views. Fun to consider, and don’t hesitate to share your comments.