APG-L Archives

From: "Mills" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Register Format Question
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 16:52:53 -0600
References: <3FABFC62.8090102@srv.net>

> I am trying to compile a family descendency in Register Format. One
> family had only one son who lived to adulthood. In the 1900 and 1910
> census records, his mother said she was the mother of 7 children, with
> only one still living. I have been unable to find any records listing
> these other six children. What is the proper way to handle these
> children?
>
> Should I list them with the brother, with individual numbers for each of
> them?

Loretta, under the Register System, those unknown children would be listed
with their siblings as "Unidentified child" or similar wording of your
choice, but they would not have individual numbers (only Roman numerals
within the immediate family unit).

The numbering system that assigns numbers to everyone, regardless of how
much you know about them, is the NGSQ System. If, as you believe here, none
of those children lived long enough to produce an offspring, then the only
"advantage" to assigning a number to everyone would be if you wanted your
compiled genealogy to reflect the total number of descendants. On the other
hand, if you had a family in which you *thought* a child died young (hence
you assign it no number under the Register System) but then you later
discover that s/he left offspring, then your genealogy would have to be
renumbered.

Elizabeth

---------
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
Author, *Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian*
Editor/Author, *Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers,
Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians*

This thread:

• [APG] Register Format Question by Loretta Evans <>

  • Re: [APG] Register Format Question by "Mills" <>