W. Bruce Matson wrote: > Hello, > Is there a more “correct” way of entering data for a person > living during American Colonial times? > For example, a person living in York, Maine in 1661 wouldn’t > technically be correct. Would it be better > to enter, York, York County (even though the County probably > didn’t exist then), Maine, British Colonial/ > North America? Certainly, the USA hadn’t been formed that > early. .Any suggestions how others of you might deal with this. > Thanks for any advice/input. > > Bruce Matson > Mount Vernon, WA
IME, it depends on (a) what, exactly, you intend to do with the data, (b) who you wish to impress, (c) your personal feelings about picayune details. If I'm compiling a tree for a lineage society, I ask them what THEY want it to say -- because if I do it differently, they'll reject it and make me do it twice. If I'm keeping a database for family, there's NO profit/point to saying that x was in Virginia because everyone who looks at it will complain that it's really in Ohio (yeah, is now; at the time, that was Ohio county, Va, though). If I'm using the database for tracking something, I use whatever the source document says. Since I work mostly South of the Mason-Dixon Line, I've never seen British Colonial America or even British North America in an original document. Not saying there isn't one, just that I've never seen it. I've seen State of Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia, Province of Maryland, Province of North Carolina, Proprietorship of Pennsylvania ... but never with "America" appended. Either way, I say in the NOTES either what the doc actually said or where the place is today, whichever I need to clarify. Worth what you paid for the opinion, however. Essentially, your call. Cheryl Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://support.legacyfamilytree.com Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
