Tuckness Surname Spelling Variations

Tuckness
Tuckneß

The above are the same spelling.  The "ß" or "double s" or "s z", as the Germans call it, is (I believe) the root of lot of confusion. The use of this ß was common in the U.S. until about the middle of the 1800s and perhaps a little later. It is still used in Germany.

You can type the letter yourself on any computer keyboard by holding down the ALT key and typing the number 0223 on your keyboard's number pad.

"Old Henry" used this ß when he signed his name to the power of attorney on 2 Sep 1815 that is a part of his War of 1812 military records. You can see a copy of that here: War of 1812 Document

R. Tuckness of Philadelphia used it also when he signed his name to the One Sixth Dollar Continental Currency Note dated 17 Feb 1776.  You can see that here:

One Sixth Dollar Continental Currency Note

In "Old Henry's" War of 1812 military records, one could easily read the name as:

Tuckness, or Tucknes, or Tucknis, or Tucknies or Tuckneß, or Tuckney or even Turkney depending on how familiar one is with the hand writing of that period. However, I believe that it was really "Tuckness" that the writer meant to write. I believe the different spelling is in the eye of the reader and not the hand of the writer.

I don't mean to say that there have not been other spellings used over the years. After all, two hundred years ago, many of people who could write spelled things as they sounded. We find lots of spelling variations in the census records, but I believe that was a result of the recorder and not our ancestors using different spelling.

The above is just my theory based on years of observation. I could be wrong and would love to hear what the rest of you think.

Submitted by Jerry Rogers

Just when I thought I'd seen every way to spell Tuckness, I found some more at Salt Lake City. Here are some:

Tuckins record of Thomas Jefferson T's marriage in Maury Co, TN
Tucknoss
Tuckneg
Tucknep 1820 census