Some sources spell the surname with an 'm' and others with an 'n'. Great :-)
What spelling do we prefer to use here on Geni? In a number of instances we have changed the Stamvader/Progenitor surname straight into the South Africanized version. Sometimes we kept the surname in its original form for the first one or two generations and then switched over to the South African version : Gray becomes Grey for example, Villion becomes Viljoen. Sometimes the family tree split up using variants of the original surname and then sticking to different variants reasonably consistently after that.
Q. 1 What what the original surname? My theory is with an 'm'. Reasons:
A. The Middelburg Cape website mentions a number of attractions for tourists. One of these is the Schoombeesklip ('m') named after the Schoombee progenitor. The text on the website states: This stone is the oldest landmark of the occupation by Europeans in this region. The inscription was made in 1780 by Andries Godlieb Schoombee, who fled from Denmark after the supposed death of his brother who fell from a window of their double-storey house during a quarrel. It reads:
ANNO·1780·APREL
IK·BEN·DIE·DIE·PLAAS·HEFT·AANGELYGT
A·G·S·B·UYT·DENEMARK
SPRENGHANE·ALS·S/A/NT
Now if only he had carved out his full surname, our puzzle would have been solved!
Source: http://www.southerncape.co.za/towns/middelburg/history.php
B. A NAAIRS search of KAB on Schoombee 'm' before 1900 shows 101 files. The oldest is from 1837: KAB LG vol 546 ref 171 AG Schoombee Requesting a grant of an erf at Graaff-Reinet.
C. A NAAIRS search of KAB on Schoonbee 'n' before 1900 shows 12 files. The oldest is from 1825. Andries Godlieb Schoonbee requesting remission of a fine KAB CO vol 3929 ref 501
So my theory is that the 'm' was mostly used but the 'n' was used at an early stage too. It was not really an issue. So the end result: both 'm' and 'n' depending on which sub-branch of the family tree one is working.
Reactions welcome