City Directories Question on unique names?
Regarding this project Instruction:
- Index each unique name. Some names may be duplicated. When names are exact duplicates, meaning that all required fields are the same, index only the first instance of the name listed. Skip the other exact duplicates and then index the next unique name. Unique names include names with different middle initials and different name spellings or where the other required fields are different.
If I index the first instance of a name, followed by several unique names that are indexed, then the original name appears again, would it be skipped because it was previously indexed or do you index it again because it was separated from the first instance by other unique names.
i.e. Robert, Robert A, Robert D, Robert S, Robert Would you index that last Robert since there were other unique names or other fields in between the two identical ones? I guess I would hate the person looking for an ancestor to only see the first instance without looking further to see that there are other names separated by unique names.
Best Answer
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If there are two Robert Smiths, sandwiched between Robert A, Robert D and Robert S Smith, only the first Robert Smith is indexed as second Robert is an exact duplicate of the first Robert. The researcher will be able to see the second Robert when s/he views the document.
If you have a Robert Smith, then a Robert Smith, Jr., only the first Robert is indexed because suffixes are not indexed and Robert Jr. is the exact duplicate of the 1st Robert.
If the first Robert Smith's wife is Helen, and the second Robert Smith's wife is Ethel, or one Robert has a wife and the other doesn't, then both Roberts will be indexed because their wives (or lack of a wife) have different names. The exact duplicate for spouses also applies, so if Helen was both of their wives names, only the first Robert is indexed. If the first Robert Smith's wife is Helen, and the second Robert's is Helen A, both are indexed.
The exact duplicate rules listed also apply to any Robert A, Robert D or Robert S Smith.
Exact duplicates are most common with common last names, like Smith or Jones or Miller. You won't find many duplicates with a name like Krzyzewski, or my maiden name, Dickman, although my grandfather's name was Henry and one of my uncles is Henry, Jr., but I digress.1
Answers
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That is the way I have done them. I only got worried about it when I saw some exact names separated by quite a few unique ones because of one field or another. It worried me that people looking for their ancestors might only see the first example and not see that further down the record there might be another name exactly like the first example. I just like to be sure I am doing it correctly. Dickman? Pretty close to my maiden name of Dickerson!
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