Indexing city directories listings with same SURNAME and same GIVEN name.
When there are multiple people with the same SURNAME and the same GIVEN name the instructions (if I'm understanding correctly) and have no other unique indexing information I am suppose to only index one of those people and then start indexing again with the next person that has a distinguishing different entry like a wife's name is given or they have an initial. Am I understanding that correctly? Even though these people with the same SURNAME and GIVEN name have different addresses and occupations? If so, I always feel like I am losing those separate people as I'm not recording them too. So if I have 10 Geo Smith people with no distinguishing initials, no wife, etc. I make one Geo Smith entry then go to the next distinguishable Geo A Smith, or Geo Smith with wife's name given??
I most definitely will follow those instructions given if I am understanding them correctly. I just want to make sure I'm not leaving anyone out.
Best Answer
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Thank you so much for verifying that. And it helps to see that this is a “finding aid.” And I'm not leaving anyone out.
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If you have, say 10, Geo Smiths and they are exactly the same, you will only index the first Geo Smith, then skip down to the next unique name, like Geo A. Smith.
If you have 10 Geo Smiths, but 5 of them have wives named Esther, Rebecca, Irene, Barbara and Cora, you will index those 5 Geo Smiths. The first instruction is applied if 5 Geo Smith have wives, but two of the wives are named Esther, etc.
We do not index the same name based on address or occupation.
And remember that we are creating a finding aid, not a transcript, so if Geo Smith's descendant looks him up, s/he will be able to see his listing, even if there are 10 other Geo Smiths.1
