Evolution of the Mahnenschmidt name

 

The following is an excerpt from the research of a Kenneth Monesmith, who I have learned gathered 60 pages of research on the Mahnenschmidt descendants “the old-fashioned way” before the Internet became available. He reports: “The name Manneschmidt was anglicized to Manysmith in 1734 in Berks County, PA, to Manesmith in 1778 in Cumberland County, and to Monysmith in 1783 in Westmoreland County. Early German church records in Westmoreland County spell it Maneschmidt, but in 1794 the new school teacher, Karl Schiebler, began to keep the church records, and the name Mahnenschmidt appears for the first time on record. The name Manneschmidt having been anglicized to Manesmith was in 1794 "Germanized" into Mahnenschmidt----.

 

It is customary for publishers of family histories to adopt a single spelling of the surname uniformly throughout the book. In the present instance, however, the name spelling in the signatures on wills, deeds, and church records of our direct ancestors evolved with each generation and location from Manneschmidt to Monesmith.----Monesmith became the permanent spelling adopted by those descendants of John Jacob Manismith, who migrated to Crawford County, OH, in 1827. He was born in 1775 as Maneschmidt, confirmed 1794 as Mahnaschmidt, listed in the 1810 census as Mannismith, 1830 as Manismith, 1840 and 1850 as Moneysmith and finally in 1860, Monesmith.”