Eaddy Family Features
James Eaddy Family Tree
The first and second generations of Eaddys in America spelled their name differently, sometimes in the same document. The variant spelling of the family name, Eddy, was used to identify the birth and marriages of James Eddy, I., James Eddy, II., and Edward Drake Eddy, along with his brothers and sisters, as shown in a Bible owned by Dewey P. Eaddy, Indiantown Community, Williamsburg County, SC. The use of the Eaddy variant was begun and may have been decreed by James Eddy, II. It was completed with some exceptions with the generation of his sons and daughters who were named in the family Bible as Henry Eddy, Edward Drake Eddy, James Eddy, III, John Eddy, Sarah Eddy, Mary Eddy, and Agnes Eddy. This change was evidenced in the later records of birth, marriage, death, and wills, etc. This appears to indicate that the family must have generally agreed upon this form of the name before the death of James Eddy, II. in 1819 and Edward Drake Eddy in 1848; because, both were christened with the family name of Eddy and their wills were produced with the Eaddy spelling. As a matter of curiosity, we have no knowledge why they chose to agree on the Eaddy form of spelling. See the Eaddy-Ford Cemetery feature story for an unproven theory.
The records reveal variant spelling, either in error, or where the descendents have preferred another form. See descendents of John Gregory Eady (Eaddy), (1861-1939), son of Thomas Eaddy. This branch of the family chose to retain this spelling; because, it was observed this way on a coat of arms. Rev. Oliver Eady (Eaddy) (1833-1877), son of Edward Drake Eaddy, also used this form and some of his descendants after him. Certain branches of the Samuel Eaddy Family have also used the Eady variant.
At least one branch of the family converted to McEaddy as evidenced in the family of William James McEaddy (Eaddy), Sr. (1835-1901), son of Henry Eaddy, who moved his family to Florida and established Yalaha, Florida.
Charles Foster Trisvan Eaddy (1864-1944), son of Trisvan Eaddy and Martha Addeline Ham, told his daughter that "those Crackers in Florida could not pronounce his hame correctly," so he dropped the "a" and Eaddy became Eddy. There were no male descendants to carry on this version of the name for this family.
Marion St. Julian Eaddy (b, 1873), another son of Trisvan Eaddy and Martha Addeline Ham, migrated to Florida. He married Ada Ariminta Wynn and changed his surname to Eddy which his descendants have continued to use.