Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I was researching a McNamara family and I wasn't making any progress. I was trying wild cards on the census records when I spotted a "Mack". I had probably passed it over in the past considering it to be nowhere near the surname McNamara but my curiousity made me look at the record. It turned out to be the right people but they had shortened their surname to Mack. I found other records with the same spelling. I managed to get the McNamaras back to County Limerick in no time after months of no progress .

Blue

Well done Blue, more thinking all round the subject. I wonder who shortened it in the first place, bet it was either an enumerator or parish priest who couldn't spell themselves.