Confusing Census McSkelly/Miskelly

Ok see if you can figure it out ?

1851 census 15 year old William MISKELLY is living with his parents John and Mary In Carlisle.

 Here in the 1861 census you can see  the name McSkelly.  Living next door to each other we have John, his sons James and William.

John is a Miskelly his children christened Miskelly.

James M is recorded  McSkelly his children christened Miskelly.

William is a McSkelly his children christened McSkelly.  Why were his children recorded at Birth as McSkelly was it the recorder in the registry office or did William change it for some reason.

I am not sure how the census was taken, form filled in by residents or enumerator at the door.

Maybe William told the enumerator my Brother James lives next door and he assumed that he was also a McSKelly

At the door then surely one of them would have said my father lives next door !  So why has he not been recorded McSkelly ?

Which ever we will never know what happened but as you can see in the 1871 census William is still a McSkelly but James Montgomery is back to Miskelly and that is how it stuck to this day.

So really all the McSkellys should have been Miskellys ?? you all following this ?

To confuse matter even more Williams son Arthur(1871) married as a Miskelly and his family remain Miskelly's to this day.

If one day anyone reading this can figure it out then please let me know.

Downloads

	1851 William
	1861 Three together !
	1871 William
	1871 James Montgomery