Another Look At The Lankford Surname

As I continue to search on my mother's side, her family surname has been spelled so many ways. Those spelling include: Langford, Langfurd, Lanford, Laukford, Landford, Lankferd, Sandford, Sankford, and Lankfard. There may have been others spellings.

Robert Louis Lankford (also known as Lewis Lankford) was my Great Grandpa. On his and Great Grandma Charlotta's tombstone their surname was spelled LANKFARD.  When I came across their tombstone in the 1990's, I thought that their surname was misspelled.

As I searched more on that Ashland Cemetery, I saw that there were others who with the LANKFARD spelling. My Grandparents Leo and Mary. Their tombstone was spelled LANKFARD. I can assume that that was the original name. Or that was a chosen surname that was taken after slavery.
Maybe the Lankford name may not have been the slave name. Story has it that the slave name might have been Morton. Great Grandpa Robert had a half sister, named Mamie Mortorn. 

Mamie was half black. She was said to have been the slave owner's daughter. Robert and Mamie had the same mother. On Robert's death record his parents were not known. Robert was born in KY.

I haven't found any leads on Mamie Morton. Mamie could have married in KY where she  was living. Recently, I've come across someone searching the Morton who the Lankfords worked for...I thought that was nice.

While I was looking over some records, I notice some things. Robert went by Lewis when he was married to Charlotta Dade in 1873. On the 1870 and 1880 census, his name was Lewis Langford. On the 1900, I had a hard time finding him. His name was R.S. or R. L. Sankford.

It wasn't until the 1910 that I came across Robert L. Lankford. In 1920 and 1920 his name was Robert Lankford. I wonder what happened. Was Robert going by his middle name at first? Or did he change his name?

It would be nice to have known more about my Great Grandpa Robert and his parents. I wonder if there were other siblings. I can only go back to Robert Louis LANKFORD. Perhaps that was the name that his choice.

So was his name spelled Robert Louis Lankford? Or Robert Lewis Lankfard? Either ways goes. As long as we know who was who or who's who on the family tree that matter. 

While On The Journey,
Another Look At The Lankford Surname

The Mystery Continues:
Perhaps the family surname could have been another name. Each person with the LANKFORD surname spelled the family name the way that they choose. I noticed how the LANKFORD surname was spelled and signed through the World War I and II Draft Records, Marriage Licences, Post Cards, Letters, City Directories, Census Records and Tombstones.

The Mystery Reminds:
Blessings,
Susan