New idea to help attach other information that is on hard copy but not available to enter in databox
Indexing Information of the hard copy that has no input column for data entry.
I'm indexing death records for Virginia back in the late 1800s. There is a column for spouse (which, sadly, the recorder did not input any spouse names) but there is a column which asks for the informant's information. Many times, the informant is a relative of some sort. For this particular person I am indexing, the informant is a son. Due to the limitations on the data entry, I can't input this son, or at least, can't in any way that makes sense. He didn't die so I don't want to add him as a new entry but I want to connect him to his father in the record, especially since the father has nobody else listed in any other of the data entry columns.
It would be great for the programmers to have a tool at the end of each person we are indexing that asked if there is any other information and, if so, categories to choose from (ie.relatives noted in the record, then more boxes on what relationship to the person, name, etc. birth places, dates, etc. whatever else may be recorded) I do love that the record I am doing now records what they died of since, sometimes, we have to search the image itself to see the cause of death (and sometimes they are unavailable) but I think other relationships, even including neighbors or friends are helpful when we search. If we can only find a small amount of information on a person, other relationships may lead us to a place of residence with county records or other things that would help.
I'm so grateful for FamilySearch and hope that more improvements can be made to help us and our friends find our ancestors. Thanks for the work you do!
Comments
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Ooooo! This! I was just commenting in another post how frustrating it is to get to a record that not only has the parents but also the grandparents and not have a place to record the information! There are also instances like slavery where the enslaved person doesn't have much identifying information like a last name or parents but has information like the name of the slaver that can be used to trace family more easily.
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