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From: "Carol Simpson" <>
Subject: Tip of the Day: Comments Source
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2006 12:51:40 -0800


Well, although no one seemed terribly impressed with my Tip of the Day from Wednesday (regarding tracking estimated birth dates), I have another tip that is a follow-up to that. :) I created a source called "Comments" that I use to add footnotes to an event in a report. I use this to explain conclusions, thought processes, etc. It is for "side notes" that explain something, and it sometimes replaces many sources.

For instance, I am currently working on Elam B. Burton. I have 11 sources for his name. I put exclusion markers in front of the source number for each citation and added my "Comments" source, with this citation: "He is shown as Elam B. Burton or Elam Burton in all censuses and vital records." This is very brief, but every one of those sources is already provided as a source documenting other events in the report/webpage.

If there are only a few sources, I leave them. For instance, his first wife had three sources for her name. His second wife had seven, which I replaced with this note: "She was shown as 'Hortensia M. Thomas' on the 1850 and 1860 census, marriage records in 'The History of Ancient Woodbury' & Woodbury vitals & notebook in Woodbury Library. She appears as 'Hortensia M. Burton' on the 1870 and 1880 census. Her death records in Woodbury vitals says she was 'Hortensia M. Burton, daughter of Ira & Betsey Thomas.' Her tombstone says 'Hortensia M. Thomas, wife of Elam B. Burton.'" This note is longer than her husband's, but I still like having the summary in one spot, rather than referring to many sources.

So...back to tracking the estimated birth dates. I record the sources and track them in the memo field, as explained two days ago. Then I use this tracking info in the "Comments" source. (Of course, I use the actual sources when I have documented a precise date.) Here are a couple of examples:

Birth date of circa 1827 is conjectured based on the ages given in the sources below. The vital record of her death in Woodbury states that she was born in Woodbury.
1850 vital (m) = 22 = <3 Jan 1828
1850 census = 23 = <1 June 1827
1853 vitals (b) = 25 = <27 June 1828
1856 vitals (b) = 30 = <5 Oct 1826
1860 census = 32 = <1 June 1828
1867 vitals (d) = 40 = <21 Oct 1827
1867 tombstone = 40 = <21 Oct 1827

The vital record for his marriage says that he was born in Bethlehem. I did not record the source for the precise birth date of 20 September 1822. However, this date is supported by the ages given in most of the following sources:
1850 vitals (m1) = 27 = <3 Jan 1823
1850 census = 28 = <1 June 1822 (recorded 25 Sept)
1853 vitals (b) = 30 = <27 June 1823
1856 vitals (b) = 34 = <5 Oct 1822
1860 census = 38 = <1 June 1822 (recorded 16 Aug)
1869 vitals (m2) = 46 = <9 June 1823
1870 census = 47 = <1 June 1823
1880 census = 57 = <2 June 1823
1890 vitals (d) = 68y2m = Oct 1822
1890 tombstone = 68 = <14 Dec 1822

Hope this helps someone who might want to do something similar!

Carol Simpson
Homer, Alaska

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