FLHIG

Family and Local History
Indexing Group

Selected articles from the Newsletter

This article first appeared in SIGGNL 15  (June 1997)

My personal interests, and what I would like covered in future newsletters
by Sheila Scowcroft

This article, sets out the needs of a self-confessed beginner in genealogical indexing, and includes responses from a number of more experienced members of the Group. Clearly computer technology has advanced since this was first published, but the principles mentioned in the answers to these "FAQs" may still be of value.

I am a complete beginner in indexing and do it as one of my leisure interests, so I should like details about indexing conventions and other items suggested by reference to my project.  I have set myself the daunting task of indexing the Diocesan Magazine which, for the last seventy years, has been publishing monthly the happenings in about thirty-two Church of Ireland parishes in the south-east corner of the Republic.  The area is roughly that contained by a line drawn through Arklow, Portlaoise, Cashel and Waterford.  Dealing with editions from 1984 onwards should be fairly simple because I have those copies, but earlier ones are kept in the library of St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny.

Ferrero Rocher and shoe boxes proved ideal for the pieces of paper on which I wrote the name of each person and some details when I began the project - I have about two years done by this method.  I now have a computer with a Pentium processor, attached to a Canon BJC 4100 printer, and use Excel spreadsheets in Windows 95.  One spreadsheet is for the Junior Page, which lists names of children who have answered the monthly quiz.  Many children reply regularly.  Another spreadsheet is for individuals in advertisements.

The third spreadsheet is the main index, and consists of columns for surname, maiden name, forenames, title, address, year, month, parish/ite, title, event.  I am just about to complete one year, and it has 5000 rows - generally, one for each mention of a name.  Originally I thought I would display the first four columns for a name, and list the parish, year and months against each one "horizontally".  However, the proportion of those mentioned is often small, and people can be mentioned three times in one month in different parishes.  (This is particularly so for deaths, when the burial/obituary will be recorded in one parish with the chief mourners stated.  These are usually sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, who will be given sympathy in their own parish.)  I therefore propose to sort just the entries and show the first seven columns.  This will certainly cut out the errors which could be made during the rearrangement, and will spare me the difficulty of deciding whether the two mentions of Ned are the same Edward mentioned elsewhere.  [On reading the description of your main index, it is not entirely clear to me how you intend to present the information, particularly when some of your columns will probably be missing for some entries (rows). If you would like to send me just a sample page or two, it would be easier for me to comment, but you may think that I would be too critical. I will try not to be too discouraging! - Tony Rydings]

In order to cope with the vast amount of detail, I have created a few conventions for myself, but suspect a professional indexer would be horrified.  How does one deal with females?  [Your question suggests all sorts of comments, but I had better be careful.  I suspect that your problem is how to include the information for change of name on marriage.  My choice would be to make the main entry under the married surname, followed by original surname, and the forename/Christian name, e.g. SMITH (née Macarthy), Bridget  which is in the same order as for your columns, but I am not keen on putting the entries in column form, which will waste space.  I will not attempt to deal with ladies of title.  There should be a reference in the form  MACARTHY, Bridget see SMITH (née Macarthy), Bridget.  If I have not interpreted your question properly, please let me know. - T.R.]

 I have a column for Event, because it enables me to record those interesting details about people on my family trees, and it clarifies who's who, because it is also the place where I record the cross-reference to other surnames.  I intend this column to be for my use only.

Another area of difficulty is in knowing what to do about making the index available for other people.  I have informed the editor of the magazine and the Diocesan Press Officer that I am starting this project, because I should hate to have any work duplicated, and assume it is in order to continue because I have had no response.  [It is a pity that the editor of the Diocesan Magazine or their press officer have not replied, as you have had to make up your own mind as to how to proceed, and what to include; but at least they cannot complain that you have not done what you were asked! - T.R.]  I think the index should be with the copies of the magazine, but should I send a print-out to St Canice's library as I complete each year, or should I wait until I have a block of five years?  [I would be inclined to send the index for each year as it is completed and checked, but this is really a matter for you - C.M.  It is preferable to issue an annual index, published as you suggest with the magazine; then cumulated say every five years. - T.R.]  I envisage that each block would be in alphabetical order.  At what point do you consider microfiche and how is that done?  [I will ask a colleague about microfiche. - T.R.]  I don't know whether the library has this facility.  Should copyright and the Data Protection Act be considered?  What  is the best method of obtaining the text of the early editions for me to work on in England?  Photocopying is the most obvious, but is there any advantage in using a scanner?  [I have never used a scanner myself, but I suppose that the main advantage would be able to do it at home, as and when you like.  This however would not apply in your case. - T.R.]

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20 February 2005

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