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Emily D. Wilson - Middle Name

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The Cyber Hymnal's picture

Found convincing evidence that Emily’s middle name was Devine, not Divine, as many sources give it (including, until today, ours). Her father’s grave is at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/160485467, and the tombstone photo clearly shows Devine. This page also has links to graves for Emily and and her five siblings (her siblings’ names also use the spelling Devine).


Comments

I am unsure. We go by usage, which is also what LOC Name Authorities goes by. In this case, LOC cites both the Cyber Hymnal website and records in OCLC for using "Divine" with a 2010 date that they accessed the information. It is unclear where the information from the cataloging records comes from in OCLC, but some of the publications are before 2010. There are also references to "Emily Divine Wilson" in other pre-2010 publications. There is no photo of the gravestone on the Find A Grave site, and there is no evidence that she did not use the "Divine" spelling of her middle name.