The Origins Network - Genealogy Research online specializing in British & Irish genealogy search

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Origins Network News: November 2004

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Contents this Month:

** New Origins Network Collections: London/Kent and Middlesex 1871 Census records. 500,000 new records!

** SoG Members: Free Access to English and Irish Origins now available + Details on SOG Membership

** Featured Origins Network Article: Pitfalls Old & New:Part One by Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA Scot

** Upcoming Family History Events

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London/Kent and Middlesex 1871 Census records:
Half a million new names available to British Origins and Total Access Subscribers

Two new counties of the 1871 Census are now available for searching on British Origins (www.britishorigins.com). The census records are searchable by name, age, parish, and county. The index records include the source record references, so that users with access to CDs of the original census records can use the Origins Network census index alongside these CDs.

500,000 new names are included in the London and Middlesex records and all these contain images accessible to British Origins and Total Access subscribers.

For full information about British Origins and details of how to sign up or change your subscription, visit: http://www.originsnetwork.com/signup-info.aspx

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Society of Genealogists Free Access for Members

As part of our SoG partnership, The Origins Network offers a special deal to the Societys members. They are awarded one 72 hour session (with unlimited searches), per calendar quarter for which they can view all materials from the Origins Network online, including Society of Genealogists datasets as well as our other British and Irish collections.

Members also get 20% discount on orders made via British Origins for hard copies provided by the Society (8 insteadof 10.) These benefits only apply to records for hard copies provided by the Society. (Please note, this 20% discount will be available from 15 November 2004)

Members:
You can access your free trial period by logging in to your Origins Network (www.originsnetwork.com/Login.aspx ) account and selecting "SoG" from the Origins Network user homepage. You will need your current SoG membership number to access the quarterly session.

If you have already registered for any Origins Network service, including British Origins, Irish Origins, Scots Origins or Origin Search, enter your email and password to login and access your session.

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Become a Member!

Join the Society of Genealogists today and take advantage of quarterly free access to Origins plus special membership deals including:

* Access to the Societys Library in London* 10% Discount on all courses and lectures
* Four editions of Genealogists Magazine
* 20% Discount on subscriptions to Computers in Genealogy
* 10% Discount on all SoG publications
* 20% Discount on SoG short specific searches requested by postFor full details of how to apply, please visit: http://www.sog.org.uk/mem.html

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Featured Origins Network Article

Pitfalls Old and New: Part One

by Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA Scot

All the wonders of online databases cannot eliminate pitfalls. That is understandable when you consider that the root of any pitfall is human error. Sloppiness, inattention and inaccuracy are problems that never go away.

I have made a list of nine or ten traps for the unwary. In this article I discuss two of them, spelling and handwriting.

Spelling
Surnames, given names, and place names present the greatest challenges and are the most important. Variant spellings and mistakes occurred because our ancestors spelled their names in different ways, officials wrote what they heard and, later, transcribers copied what they saw.

Most of us know it is important to be aware of name variants and that there are tools to help us search across the possibilities. For place names such help is somewhat harder to find; for example, wild cards may not work in a place name or keyword search. Lists of all parishes in a county, or all places, streets, etc., containing a particular name element, may have to be read. Try the free place search in Scots Origins and the gazetteer search in British origins for two examples.

For surnames, I can think of three tools immediately: NameX here at the Origins Network, the system within the International Genealogical Index and other Mormon finding aids, and Soundex, which appears in many places.

Unfortunately not all versions of a surname fall within the lists generated by these systems. It is important to read about the use of nicknames, aliases, to-names (in Scotland), translations, prefixes and suffixes. Awareness is the key because it keeps us alert to the problems and encourages imagination in looking for variants.

Modern technology adds two wrinkles, the additional opportunity for human error in creating a computer index and the limitations of the search engine. Some combinations may not be permitted, the variant name system may not be "tuned" to suit and the use of wild cards can be limited. Here at Origins Network wild card options are available (their use cancels the functioning of NameX). Experiments with P?ne and Fl?nn worked. This is quite good; some databases do not permit wildcards to be used within the first three letters.

Handwriting
Document text comes to us in 6 or 7 ways: the original document, microfilm copy, microfiche copy, photocopy or photograph, digital image, and transcription. Depending on the equipment, or the skill of the transcriber, some of these methods can make the text easier to read. Microfilm and microfiche copies are often as good, but it certainly depends on the equipment used to create the copy and the machine used for reading the microform.

Since I changed to a flat-screen monitor of a larger size I have noticed a big improvement in the readability of digital images; but remember, good equipment helps with contrast and clarity but it does not improve the handwriting. An accurate transcription is welcome any time, otherwise when reading old handwriting I stick to methods that have worked in the past.

Work in short sessions, generally not longer than 45 minutes, once a day. After a few sessions recognition rates improve. Number the text lines and follow the same pattern inthe transcription. Write out what is obvious first and go back filling in as letters and words emerge. Keep a guide to the handwriting of the period close at hand.

Conclusion
There are guides to name variants and handwriting online and in print. Here is a mix of resources I find helpful.

The Surnames of Scotland by George F. Black (first pub. 1946 and still in print): Read the Introduction for information about nicknames and to-names. Surnames in Ireland by Robert Matheson (a modern reprint of two titles first published ca 1900) part two of this publication is all about variant personal names.

Surnames and Genealogy by George Redmonds (2002): a very good account of the origins of names.

Scottish Documents web site (www.scottishdocuments.com) has a helpful guide to Scottish handwriting.

For English handwriting check out the items within the Handwriting and Script section at Cyndi's List (www.cyndislist.com)
or visit http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/index.html

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Upcoming Family History Events November 2004

UK

** 18 November: Visit: British Newspaper Library, Colindale (maximum 20) (10/8)

** 23 November: SoG Members' evening. An opportunity for members to meet and question the Chairman of the Society's Executive and other committees

** 25 November: Visit: The National Archives (PRO) Induction Day. A full introduction to using TNA at Kew (10/8)For more information about these events, please visit: http://www.sog.org.uk/events/calendar.html#nov04

USA

** Nov. 17 to 19 - Albany, New York: The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society are sponsoring a three-day program of assisted research at the New York State Library and Archives. Please contact education@nygbs.org for full details

** November 20 - Mesa, Arizona: The Family History Society of Arizona will host its annual fall seminar featuring J. Mark Lowe from Tennessee. Contact: gafaz@cox.net for more information

** Nov. 20 - Indianapolis, IN: The Indiana Historical Society seminar on Researching Church Records. Full details can be found at: http://indianahistory.org/pub_prog/genealogy/gen_programs.html#overlooked

** November 30 to December 8 - Phoenix, Arizona, and Washington, D.C.: The West Valley Genealogical Society (serving Phoenix Metro area) is sponsoring a research trip to Washington, DC. For more information, go to: http://www.rootsweb.com/~azwvgs/WVHome.htm

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If you have any questions about our new collections and access, please visit http://www.originsnetwork.com or get in touch by email at help@origins.net. We expect to receive a large volume of inquiries, so please consult the web site first with any questions, and apologies in advance for delayed email response.

If you wish to unsubscribe or edit your email, please go to: http://www.originsnetwork.com/MailList/MailList.aspx and submit your details.

Thank you for your continued custom and support over the years, and we hope you will enjoy the new collections.

Origins Network
http://www.originsnetwork.com
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http://www.originsearch.com
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