Hello Glenda,
>Yes, I'd like to know more, and if I can quote you when I write
an article about how you found a solution to name variations.
Sure you can quote me. Been trying to communicate my system all this century.
PCS (Palmer's Codenumber System)
for sorting name variants in genealogy.
When you have a large database (88,000 records on my Wirksworth
Parish Register database), indexing is all important.
To get an idea of the size of the problem,
in the Wirksworth Parish registers 1608-1899 there are:
Entries: 87,966
Surnames: 6,171 different spellings of 1,072 basic names.
Firstnames: 4,087 different spellings of 533 basic names
Placenames: 767 different spellings of 348 basic names
This variant problem can be handled by giving a unique code number
to each principal name and all its variants. For example:
Surnames:
0001=ABBAT,ABBOT, ABBOTT, ABOT
2322=RIGHT, RIGHTE, RYGHT, WRIGHT, WRIGHTE
2331=YONG, YONGE, YOUNE, YOUNG, YOUNGE
Firstnames:
2003=Abernathan, Abernethy, Abarnathar, Abanathan, Abernathy,
Abanathah, Abernatha
2351=Zachariah, Zacharias, Zacharia, Zachary, Zechariah, Zecheriah
Placenames:
3002=Alderwasley, Alderwaslee, Alderwasly, Alderwashlee, Alderwaslye
3347=Youlgrave, Yolgrave, Yoldgrave, Yeolgrove, Youlgreave, Yolgrove,
Yolgreve, Yolgrieve, Youlgreve
Generating these codenumbers depends on the genealogist's skill and patience.
It took me a week's work.
My skill was good as I'd been transcribing the Wirksworth registers for 3 years.
Applying these codenumbers in the right place is made easy
by writing a macro using the database's DPL (Database Processing Language)
Contact the author for details. My database is MPRO.
The database is then indexed on the codenumber, not the spelling of the name.
This drags all the variants together. They can be separated by eye later,
but this is rarely necessary.
This way a funny spelling doesn't get missed (like RYGHT and WRIGHTE)
These codenumbers are applied to:
Christenings: subject's surname (codsur) and firstname (codfir)
Christenings: father's firstname (codrfir) and mother's firstname (codrsur)
Marriages: spouse's firstname (codrfir) and surname before marriage (codrsur)
Burials: father's firstname (codrfir) and mother's firstname (codrsur)
Placenames: (codpla)
The database is then given two indexes:
A=[codsur,codfir,ddat]
B= [codsur,codrfir, codrsur, ddat]
The square brackets show the hierarchy within each index. For example,
'A' first displays codsur in numerical order.
For each codsur it displays codfir in numerical order.
For each codfir it chooses ddat (the date) in date order.
Similarly for 'B'
Now suppose you want to work out a family tree for SPENCER (codenumber 1936)
(the commonest surname in the Wirksworth Area, there are 3,184 entries)
Select all codsur=1936, and transfer these to a separate database for
convenience.
Display all the SPENCERs, flipping back and forth between indexes A and B.
Start from the latest date and work backwards in time, drawing a pencil tree
as you go. You'll find its delightfully easy and good fun (if the records are there of course).
Some tips.
Burials often give ages which enable the baptism to be found.
Men usually married at 25 which enables the baptism to be found.
Choosing index B displays all the children of a marriage together on the same screen.
Mixed marriages (parents with the same firstnames having children at the same time)
can often be sorted out because all the alternatives are on the same screen.
Keep a lookout for children given their mother's maiden name.
Keep a lookout for a child named after a dead sibling.
Keep a note of fertility (usually 2 years between births, the younger the quicker).
Work your way backwards in time, tagging each entry found to be on the tree.
When finished, select all tagged entries and display in date order.
This way, they can be rechecked then stored or output to an email to send
to the lucky customer.
That's it. I'll edit this email occasionally, then put it on my website at
http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/B78-PCS.htm
Best wishes,
John Palmer, Dorset, England
Author of Wirksworth website
http://www.wirksworth.org.uk
saying:
"I'm considering doing some writing on name variations and how
we often miss data because we don't do a broad enough search with
name variations". I replied, claiming to have solved the problem
and asking would she like to know more? Details of
"Palmer's Codenumber System", were then emailed
to Glenda, see below.