The following query is posted by request.

--Moderator, NYHIST-L

* * * * 

I'm going over a book manuscript on colonial New York with my
copyeditor who
queries me on whether the "van" so common among 17th and 18th century
names
should be capitalized or not. When reading early sources the
capitalization
is variable, and the print versions by 19th and 20th century historians
seem
to vary, too.  I had decided to leave all my van Rensselaers, etc,
lower-case for consistency's sake.  Is there an accepted practice, or
is the
capitalization of "van" ("Van"?!) optional?

 

Best,

Sara Gronim
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