Library
My genealogical library contains finding aids and specific information to help that I have found useful. AbbreviationsAbbreviations are everywhere. This list provides some that I ran across in my work. DictionaryThe dictionary is a collection of genealogy related terms, phrases, abbreviations, etc. Additional topics may be added to explain an area of research, a source, or a method of research more in-depth. Some of the Latin and more obscure terms were gleaned from other discussions. Epidemics &Pandemics and Other CrisisIt is difficult to understand what challenges our ancestors faced to just survive. The amount our ancestors did not know did literally kill many. Family Group Sheet (FGS)Family Group Sheets help organize information about a family. GenogramsA genogram is a drawing, diagram or schematic representation of a family's medical history. Sociologists also use genograms to track social influences in a patient's life (such as coach or teacher) but I find this diagram a great method of showing your medical history. Julian to Gregorian CalendarPope Gregory XIII ordered a change to the calendar to correct errors in the calendar originally established by Julius Caesar. The change shaved 10 days off the calendar in October of 1582 and change how leap years were calculated. This changeover is critical to reading historical records since various nations or city-states made the switch at different times. If you are reading records during a period of change or adoption watch the dates carefully as the switch was very inconsistent. Medical HistoryWe all know that certain medical problems "run in the family". With that in mind you should consider creating a medical history while collecting information for your genealogy research. Medical TermsThis chapter is not an exhaustive or authoritative list of all diseases and obsolete medical terms. Further, the author is not a medical professional and the information contained within this chapter is not for medical use. This chapter is intended to help genealogists understand medical conditions, illnesses, etc. that affected our ancestors. MilitarySome families have a military tradition while others simply join up in time of war. My ancestors were a mixed bag of service to their nation. OccupationsJob names have changed over time. It can be useful when reading old records to understand what job the person was performing. Pedigree ChartsPedigree charts are used to illustrate a person's direct lineage (ancestors). SoundexSoundex is used to find people within the U.S. census and other records that have been indexed. Soundex works best with western- and northern- European names. Relationship ChartThe relationship chart shows how to determine the relationship between two people. Are you first cousins? Second cousins? First cousins once removed? This chart will show you.
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