My GG grand aunt Sarah Hill (1827-1913) married Alexander Whittemore (1824-1913). They lived most of their lives in Scriba, Oswego Co., NY. I would like to know how the name is pronounced.

Is it Wit - more (2 syllables)
Witta - more (3 syllables)
White - more
or none of the above?

Please reply to the board as I am not subscribed by email. Thank you.

Dear Judy,

Our family has always pronounced it as 'Witta - more' (3 syllables).

Shelly Arnold
rsarnold@comcast.net

My mother-in-law was a Whittemore. They pronounced it
whitt-e-more (syllables)

Thanks for the replies. I didn't want them doomed for eternity with a mispronunciation of their name. :)

Judy

Hi Judy ---- My name is Bob (Robert Morrison Whittemore), and my family has always pronounced it, as your other responses, with three syllables. However, as the name goes back to England it is possible that the name was pronounced more like the 16th c. spelling - Whitmore. 'Commoners' carried that spelling then as well. It might be possible that the spelling change also came then as well. This spelling (Whitmore) continued down through the 'Lordships'. The manor was in Hitchin (just north of London) as was the first Whittemore to the Boston area in the 1630's. If you wish to dig deeper maybe I can help.
Bob

The parish registers at Hitchin, the place of birth of Thomas Whittemore of Charlestown and Malden, usually spell the name Whittamore or Whitamore (also three sylables) as do probate records at the PCC (Canterbury) and Hereford. There is no evidence of the spelling Whitmore for this family, until some descendants living in England changed the spelling to Whitmore circa the 19th century.

The American Whittemores are not related to either the descendants of Francis Whitmore of Cambridge or Thomas Wetmore (often spelled Whitmore) of Middletown, CT., the other New England Puritan "Whitmore" progenitors. And, Francis and Thomas were not brothers or even close cousins, as many genealogies assume.

There is no sound evidence that any of these three families are related to the Whitmores of Whitmore Hall (now owned by the Cavenaugh-Mainwarings) in the parish of Whitmore in Staffordshire.

Hal Whitmore

Thanks for the information. It was more a matter of curiosity for me, as the relationship is quite distant, and only by marriage.

Judy in Ocala

As a direct decendant of Thoams Whittemre, we always pronounced it wit-E-more

It is pronouced with 3 sylables but flows out as one word no breaks or spaces.