Soundex Code....What??

Search tips can be very helpful, even for an experienced genealogist.  Everyone falls into a rut from time to time or a particular set of web sites are used and others forgotten. I liked Linkpendium for a while, but it never earned a place in my "must look at" list.  Having said that, it's back on the priority list.  See, I even have to listen to myself once in a while!

Genealogy books (Photo credit: webduckie)

The fact remains that although millions of records are going on line every day but that there are billions to go!  We all have to remember that "it's not all on line!" But with all that being said, I want to share the tip that I posted on a Facebook page that I co-administer "Genealogy - Improving your searches."  This is a simple one, but a lot of people reacted to it and "Liked" it!  [You might also want to visit "Find A Grave Genealogy Discussion."]

It's fairly simple.  I wrote of the "Soundex Code" and how you should at least be aware of what it is so that you don't shy away from using it in your on-line searches. It is not, however, a cure-all for hard to find ancestors!  Simply put, its a 4 character replacement for any surname.  It was used to file index cards that referenced microfilm records.  The first character is the first letter of the surname, with special consideration for "De" or "Van".  The next 3 positions are numbers representing the next three consonants in the name.  Vowels and the letters w, h, and y are skipped.  Also skipped are double consonants where only one of them is considered.  That's it!  Click on "Soundex Code" for one of many explanations.  This one's from Rootsweb.  

What did we need this for??  "Old Timers" will remember doing the conversions and then going over to a card file, finding the section with your Soundex number and then flipping through the (supposedly) alphabetically arranged cards for a reference to the microfilm number and page where your ancestor SHOULD be!

In truth, you don't need it.  But I don't want anyone to shy away from picking "Use Soundex results" in the search filter choices at Ancestry.com or Americanancestors.org for example.  The cautionary piece is that if one of the letters that have to be converted to a number has been transposed say by an enumerator or an indexer, you'll never find your target based on Soundex.  Here's an example: "PATRAKIS" versus "PARTAKIS".  The Soundex for the first spelling is P362 while the soundex for the second is P632.  That's because the "T" and the "R" have been transposed.  So in the conversion the "3" and the "6" would also be transposed.  Good luck with that one!!!   

See! That was easy!

Related articles

• (+) Better Than Soundex
• Data Quality - Is SOUNDEX the solution?
• Replace words using Soundex, python

Search tips... Soundex...

Search tips can be very helpful, even for an experienced genealogist.  Everyone falls into a rut from time to time or a particular set of web sites are used and others forgotten. I liked Linkpendium for a while, but it never earned a place in my "must look at" list.  Having said that, it's back on the priority list.  See, I even have to listen to myself once in a while!

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"] Genealogy books (Photo credit: webduckie)[/caption]

The fact remains that although millions of records are going on line every day but that there are billions to go!  We all have to remember that "it's not all on line!" But with all that being said, I want to share the tip that I posted on a Facebook page that I co-administer "Genealogy - Improving your searches."  This is a simple one, but a lot of people reacted to it and "Liked" it!  [You might also want to visit "Find A Grave Genealogy Discussion."]

It's fairly simple.  I wrote of the "Soundex Code" and how you should at least be aware of what it is so that you don't shy away from using it in your on-line searches. It is not, however, a cure-all for hard to find ancestors!  Simply put, its a 4 character replacement for any surname.  It was used to file index cards that referenced microfilm records.  The first character is the first letter of the surname, with special consideration for "De" or "Van".  The next 3 positions are numbers representing the next three consonants in the name.  Vowels and the letters w, h, and y are skipped.  Also skipped are double consonants where only one of them is considered.  That's it!  Click on "Soundex Code" for one of many explanations.  This one's from Rootsweb.

What did we need this for??  "Old Timers" will remember doing the conversions and then going over to a card file, finding the section with your Soundex number and then flipping through the (supposedly) alphabetically arranged cards for a reference to the microfilm number and page where your ancestor SHOULD be!

In truth, you don't need it.  But I don't want anyone to shy away from picking "Use Soundex results" in the search filter choices at Ancestry.com or Americanancestors.org for example.  The cautionary piece is that if one of the letters that have to be converted to a number has been transposed say by an enumerator or an indexer, you'll never find your target based on Soundex.  Here's an example: "PATRAKIS" versus "PARTAKIS".  The Soundex for the first spelling is P362 while the soundex for the second is P632.  That's because the "T" and the "R" have been transposed.  So in the conversion the "3" and the "6" would also be transposed.  Good luck with that one!!!

See! That was easy!

 

Related articles

• (+) Better Than Soundex


• Data Quality - Is SOUNDEX the solution?


• Replace words using Soundex, python

Agawam and Chicopee Classes

Thursday was the first day for the Agawam Library Adult Program in Genealogy and, I forgot, this was also the first day in Chicopee for another genealogy class. Agawam is my own program but the Chicopee class is one where I assist another genealogist named Alan Horbal from North Adams, Mass. His class is about the basics but he ties in extensive training in using web sites.

Here's the room before everyone showed up

[caption id="attachment_980" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Agawam Public Library Community Room[/caption]

There were about 25 people in the Agawam class which started out with some technical meltdowns. Usually, I 'd just connect a cable to a projector mounted in the ceiling. But this morning, their cable caused the power point to display in pink.... Pink! Since I usually have my own projector, I brought that in and plugged it in with the same cable. Still pink... When I switched to my own cable, everything worked out fine. Small panic but we worked it out.

As usual in a group this large, there's a good mix of people with some experience and people who are just getting stated. It seemed that everyone stayed pretty interested right up to the end. The usual 30 minute Q&A lasted about 45 minutes, so that was a good sign that things were working out pretty well.

Next week we get into census records, vital records, soundex, a short lesson in using www.familysearch.org and a brief Pedigree Chart workshop.

Just 5 more weeks in Agawam and then I'll bring a somewhat shortened version of the same program to Palmer, Brimfield, Wilbraham and again in Chicopee.

Introduction to Genealogy---Becoming a Genealogy Detective!

Anyone near Wilbraham, MA tonight is welcome to stop at the Wilbraham Public Library tonight.  It's the 3rd in a 4 part series "Introduction to Genealogy".  Each week there have been more and more participants so feel free to call the library at 413-596-6141 to make sure there'll be room!  Based on the popularity, I can see that there just might be some future programs.  The last in this series will be held February 11th where we'll work on individual pedigree charts and whatever other subjects may come up.

This series is "sponsored" by the Western Massachusetts Genealogy Society (WMGS) in an effort to help people who are interested in family research and encourage them to take part in courses such as these and introduce them to WMGS.  Annual membership is only $20 and includes 10 monthly meetings held locally.

Over the full 4 sessions, we cover the basics of research, web sites (free and low-cost), definitions (soundex, vital records, etc), specific resources, naturalization, immigration, Ellis Island, name changes, spelling variations and "myth busting"!

Hopefully, some of you can make it tonight!  See you there.

Introduction to Genealogy Sessions will continue at First Church in Ludlow

The fundraiser for the First Church in Ludlow that just completed was a very successful program. I believe that all the participants learned at least something and most picked up a lot of information regarding doing their own family research.  In some cases, the participants have asked me to help them along, which is, of course, my business!!

We covered a great many topics from simply getting started.  How?  Just write what you know.  The easiest tool to keep track of that data is a pedigree chart.  You start with yourself and build generations back as far as you know.  Names, dates, births, marriages, deaths, locations….whatever you can remember.

Then the verification process begins.  Did Uncle Fred come to the United States in 1893 or 1898?  Was great grandma married once, twice…or three times!!

In a nutshell, we filled 5 weeks with an enormous amount of information.  Everyone took notes and everyone left with more than they expected, I believe, because I tried my best to give everyone their own packets consisting of their own family’s census records, draft registration cards, birth, marriage and death records…whatever relevant documents I could find pertaining to each person.

So, now we begin again.  I’ve requested the opportunity to conduct another series of classes and the Church has given me the green light.

Who do you know that would be interested in spending about an hour and a half on Monday nights to learn about becoming a genealogical detective?

Contact me directly at dave@oldbones.co or check out the web site at www.oldbones.co.

Great Class

We had a great time last night.  Week 3 covered a lot of ground including becoming a detective while reading census records, soundex calculations and some free family tree software called "Family Tree Builder". 

We started out with a slide of one of those "jokes" where all the letters of every word are jumbled other that the first and last letter.    There were 4 paragraphs.  When the slide came up, at first everyone just stared.  Then after a few seconds, a couple of people started to be able to make out the first few words.  As others joined in, reading the jumbled words became easier.  By the end, everyone was reading aloud. It was a lesson in being broadminded with the spelling of family names in the records we find or with how you search for records in the first place.  Here's the reading: 

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. 

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to arscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitllraed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!"

Next was the 1930 census that showed my grandfather's family.  There are 2 interesting things here: 1) It showed his mother, who lived in Canada, as a resident in his household in Springfield, MA.  Previously, I thought her husband died in the mid 1930's but could never find an actual date.  But the 1930 census listed her as a widow.  Thus, I now knew that he had died in the 1920's and I was able to redirect my searches.  Well, that was over 10 years ago when "searching" was a little more challenging, but the info was very helpful at the time.  2) There was a boarder in the household whose occupation was "painter".  Although  he was married, his wife wasn't with him.  While this is pure speculation, I wove a story about this being the the Depression Era and Charlie, the boarder, was probably a friend of my grandfather who found work in Springfield and lived there until the work ran out.  Not necessarily fact, but a good story line!

Soundex codes!  Everyone now knows what they are, why they were developed and how to use them.  Even though no one REALLY needs to know how to calculate them, that's what we learned last night.  The reason I felt this was important is so that a new genealogy researcher will now enough to use Soundex as a tool and what to expect for results.  Virtually all genealogy web search sites will offer the option to filter using Soundex.

Finally, "dit" names.....  Now there's a challenge to someone searching French-Canadian ancestry!

Week Three is Ready!

This week has flown by...maybe because I'm getting old!  But I realized that today is Saturday and Monday will be here any second.  So instead of floating comfortably in the pool with Karen and guests, I buckled down and got it done.

Monday night we'll review the last 2 weeks and get into new business.  I found a great "free" family tree builder called...wait for it... "Family Tree Builder".  Clever!  I've already downloaded the software and used it a bit to get familiar.  But for the sake of instructing the class, I uninstalled it and I'll reinstall slowly so that everyone should be able to get through it on their own at home.  I'll download it and build a quick family data base for someone in attendance.

I'm also teaching "SOUNDEX" coding and a bit of becoming a genealogical detective.
In any event, we'll all have a good time and we'll all learn something!