This is the second and final installment of a series about surname indexes.
It may take time, imagination and concentration to find your family in an index. Have patience, be creative and don’t give up too soon. Never conclude that an ancestor’s record did not exist simply because his name does not appear in index.
Sometimes records don’t make it into the state index. Search the corresponding county, parish or church record indexes.
Regarding immigrant surnames:
While most immigrants were anxious to assimilate into American culture, name changes more commonly occurred during the naturalization process and not upon their arrival at Ellis Island.
Check surnames for English equivalents. For example, the German Zimmerman became Carpenter, Gerber became Tanner and Weis became White.
Refer to the native language for pronunciation. The German Koch became Cook, and the French Roignion became Runyon.
Shortening of surnames is also common. For example, Fitz Randolph to Randolph, Strattenus to Stratten, and Baumgardener to Gardener.
Some electronic database search strategies:
- Understand the use of wildcards.
- Become familiar with the types of search logic used and exactly what fields are searched in the database.
- If the database is not equipped with a search engine use the “Find” feature in the Edit menu.
Problem: You have located a family surname listed in an index on a certain page only to find when turning to that page it isn’t there. Do not despair!
- Check a few pages before and after the listed page number. If you still can’t find it, try this: Say the index cites the page number as 21. Transpose the number to 12. If that doesn’t work, try looking on pages 121, 221, 321, etc., or 112, 212, 312, etc.
- If you are reasonably sure that a record does exist, try wading through the records the old-fashioned way, ‘one record at a time.’ This may seem intimidating but there are ways to make the search easier:
- Assess the record order or determine how they are filed. If filed by date, try to narrow the search by estimating the date of the record/event.
- Use a directory or other record with an address to aid in the search.
- Locate an identical or similar type of record for a collateral family for possible clues.
- If you’re unable to do a record search in person, consider using the services of a genealogical or historical society, libraries, etc. located in the area of interest.
Another problem:
After finding the information you need in an index and writing to the proper agency for a copy of the record, you are told, “the record is not available.”
Recheck the index to be sure the details were transcribed correctly. If you are satisfied the information is correct, then either the clerk didn’t take the time to check it or the index used was faulty.
You can write another letter to the agency and hope you get a different clerk. If not check the records yourself or hire/enlist the help of others (see above).
Don’t assume the data in an index is correct. Be thorough and record all data found. Analyze it for accuracy and completeness. Remember, an index is only an index and not a substitute for the original record.
Despite their possible inaccuracies, indexes remain one of the genealogist’s most valuable tools. They open up huge collections that would normally take many hours or even years of research time to go through individually. In electronic database form, they allow genealogists to search millions of records with the click of a mouse.
By realizing the inherent flaws in indexes, they can be used more fully and while not perfect, we genealogists are glad they’re there.
Sidebar:
British jurist and member of Parliament, 1st. Baron John Campbell (1779-1861) considered an index to be essential to every book. He proposed to bring a bill into the English parliament to deprive the author who published a book without one the privilege of copyright and also subject him to a fine for this offense.
Most genealogists and historical researchers would tend to agree with the Baron’s sentiments (I do!) and realize there’s a multitude of sources that will never be located because of this problem. The addition of an index can make a seldom used and practically worthless book a valuable asset
Carllene Marek has been chasing ancestors for more than 25 years and chasing her muse for many more. A second-generation Californian, she has helped with several computer user groups, family associations and genealogical and historical societies. She has also compiled numerous indexes for assorted publications and written book reviews for various historical and genealogical publications. Carllene currently writes a monthly newspaper column, “AncestreeSeekers,” for the Chico Enterprise Record and the Oroville Mercury Register. She and her husband live in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California with a blended family of eight children, 12 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
