<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.6058" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Thank you, Barbara, and others for your advice. Since posting my question about 24 hours ago, I have examined some other documents from the probate in the same handwriting.  I have found several cases of individuals known to be "John" where the clerk abbreviated the name "Jno."  I am inclined to believe that the one instance of 'Jo." I asked about probably is Joseph.  Of course, I would have preferred it to be John.  The search goes on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 3/7/2011 8:06:59 P.M. Central Standard Time, bvlittle@earthlink.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">The question is not whether examples can be found showing that Jo was used as an abbreviation for John (or Joseph), but how the person writing that particular document used it. Can you find other examples written by the person who wrote the document or failing that other documents from the area. Practices changed not only based on time periods but also based upon local practice at a given time. Barbara Vines Little, CG, FVGS PO Box 1273 Orange, VA 22960 bvlittle@earthlink.net 540-832-3473 CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. On 3/7/2011 5:15 PM, JFonkert@aol.com wrote: > Dear List, > I posted this question this morning on the APG-members list.  I've > received some helpful responses, including one that referenced an > interesting article at > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wmeacham/abbrjo.htm > <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ewmeacham/abbrjo.htm> > The article deals with 17th Century English sources; I am working in > an 1830s Kentucky estate record.  I am hoping someone can add more > information about given name abbreviations in Kentucky/Viriginia > records from this period. >  Here is my original post: > /I ordinarily expect to find the name "John" abbreviated as "Jno," but > I have seen lists of abbreviations that indicate "Jo" is an > abbreviation of "John" -- for example at: > //http://www.british-genealogy.com/parish-registers/first-names-a-abbreviations.html/ > // > /I need a more scholarly opinion.  Can anyone point me to an > authoritative source on the matter?  Thanks./ > Jay Fonkert, CG > http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/ > Saint Paul, MN > > Director, Association of Professional Genealogists > (professional profile at www.apgen.org) <http://www.apgen.org%29/> > Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild > (professional profile at http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/) > <http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/%29>_ > _Member, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors > > CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for > Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified > associates after periodic competency evaluations. </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jay Fonkert, CG <A href="http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/">http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/</A> Saint Paul, MN Director, Association of Professional Genealogists (professional profile at <A href="http://www.apgen.org)/">www.apgen.org)</A> Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild (professional profile at <A href="http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)">http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)</A> Member, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified associates after periodic competency evaluations. </DIV></BODY></HTML>