Talk:Stephen Maturin

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French and Spanish Spellings

I appreciate Cornelis's initiative in matters of spelling, but wonder at their appropriateness. While "Mathurin" certainly appears and would, in many ways, be the expected, do we know what canon source confirms it? Even moreso, I question "Etienne Domanova", memory suggesting that the text from which the original language was drawn spoke specifically of Domonova. Why, too, would a Spaniard cum Irishman use a French name? If anything, surely it would have been Esteban. Any defense before I revert? Czrisher 20:33, 6 October 2008 (BST)

I'm not seeing the name differences that you mention other that the one needing a citation. I wonder more about: His father belonged to the great anglo-irish family of FitzGerald. He was probably baptized as the child of an other couple, M. Maturin and Ms. Domanova, so to avoid the legal penalties inflicted upon a bastard child. However he kept in touch with his real family, both on Irish and Spanish sides, inheriting properties in bot countries. Where does this idea even come from? --LadyShelley 02:45, 8 October 2008 (BST)
Maturin does refer to the Fitzgerald's as cousins in various places in the Canon. His Maturin father is described as a (presumably Catholic) Irish officer in the service of Spain. But in what degree and how he is connected to the Fitzgeralds we are never told.
Maturin is an Irish Huguenot family name (to which family I am connected). They had been living and thriving in Dublin since the early 1700s and produced a number of Church of Ireland (Anglican) clergy and many attended Trinity College. It is possible they originally spelled their name Mathurin before they left France, there is a story that they were surnamed by a French lady who adopted a street orphan close to the Mathurin convent but again whether Stephen's father Maturin was related to them is unspecified. Aquinas 16:27, 13 October 2008 (BST)
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