(Spelling, Pg 2)

My family name is Crosslin now, but it was
Crossland from long ago in England
until about 1750 in Virginia.

Surname spelling variations were common in the past and most researchers soon encounter them.  The encounters unfortunately often cause confusion and sometimes lead to analysis error.

The Crossland surname was certainly not free from spelling variations.  The objective of these pages is to hopefully diminish the negative impact of the problem.

Crossland spelling variations usually occurred in one of two forms (or a combination of both) arbitrarily labeled by me the "S issue" and the "phonetically-similar issue".

The S issue needs no explanation; sometimes Crossland was spelled with one S and other times with two S's.  The phonetically-similar issue is just about as simple.  It covers the various spelling renditions which sounded like Crossland but were spelt otherwise, such as examples below.

Several spelling variations appeared in my family line, all around the same time (c1750) in Virginia.  They were phonetically similar and Crosslin is the version that finally took hold.

Each variation was associated with various members of three generations of my Crossland family from about 1750 through about 1820.  Crosslin is the rendition that endured those spelling transition years and is the only spelling used by my family since the late 1800s.

Spelling Variations In My Family c1750-1820

Crosland	Crossland	Croslin
Crosslin	Croslen	Crosling
Crossling	Crosslyn	Crosslayne

Each variation was recorded in various parish and county record books of Colonial Virginia, some many times.

¹Reverend William Willie, Register of Albemarle Parish, Surry and Sussex Counties 1739-1778, Library of Virginia.
²Reverend William Willie, Vestry Book of Albemarle Parish, Surry and Sussex Counties, 1742-1787, Part 1, LDS Family History Library microfilm.
³Court Minute Books, Southampton County, Virginia, Library of Virginia and LDS Family History Library microfilm.
⁴Court Order Books, Surry, Sussex and Southampton Counties, Virginia, Library of Virginia and LDS Family History Library microfilm.

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