SUGGESTED STANDARD FOR RECORDING INFORMATION The two basic research forms are the Ancestor Chart and the Family Group Sheet. You will need to obtain a supply of these. To fill out the Ancestor Chart: 1. Start with yourself as person #1 and work back through the generations, proving each step as you go. Even numbers are always males and odd numbers are always females. (The only exception being #1--if the person filling out the chart is a male.) 2. Print or type the first, middle, and last name. Use all capitals for the last name-- Oliver Hartwell COOK. For females, use the maiden name only. If it is unknown, draw a line or use a question mark--don't substitute the married name--use Clarissa QUINCY or Clarissa _______ or Clarissa ?? . 3. Dates should be written--day, month, year--always using the word rather than a numeral for the month and always writing out the full year. Never use commas or other punctuation in a date--22 November 1966 or 22 Nov 1966. Use standard 3 letter abbreviations only. If you have to estimate a date, use "ca" (for circa) or "abt" (for about) in front of it--born ca 1966 or abt 1966. Always say what source you used for estimating the date--born ca 1850 (age 30 in 1880 census). 4. Give complete information on the place on event took place--city or township, county, state--Fallbrook, San Diego Co., California. If you abbreviate the state, use the standard 2-letter abbreviation--Fallbrook, San Diego Co., CA. Sometimes you will also want to say what village within a township. If so, the village is listed first--McIndoe Falls, Barnet Twns., Caledonia Co., Vermont. It is important to know the county because that is where many of the records are kept. For foreign countries, that same concept is used, but it may be that the jurisdictions are different. You may have, for example, the following categories, in this order--farm, village, parish, county, country--Sandy Farm, Bremilham, Malmsbury, Wiltshire, England. In other words, use the most complete information about a place that you can. Names of places should be given with the modern name or spelling--Danvers (formerly Salem Village), Essex Co., Massachusetts would be the best way to do it. The first three listings on my chart would look like this: 2. Hartwell Russell George HILLIER b. 16 Feb 1906 bp. Fallbrook, San Diego Co., CA m. 1 Sept 1939 mp. Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA d. dp. 1. Susan Marie HILLIER b. 8 July 1942 bp. Long Beach, Los Angeles Co., CA m. 13 June 1964 mp. Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA d. dp. 3. Elsie VOS b. 1 April 1917 bp. Rochester, Monroe Co., New York d. dp. Abbreviations used: b=birth date, bp=birth place, m=marriage date, mp=marriage place, d=death date, dp=death place. Other common abbreviations: bap=baptism date (which is sometimes substituted for a birth date and should be indicated if it is because the date could be anywhere from several days to several years after the actual birth), chr=christening date (in this case, more likely to be an infant), div=divorce (if a marriage ended in divorce, this should be indicated), bur=burial or buried. After you have filled out your ancestor chart, fill out a family group sheet for each couple on the ancestor chart--using the same guidelines suggested above. On the family group sheet, your sources of information should be listed. If a person was married more than once, fill out a separate sheet for each marriage that resulted in children. Keep track of the marriages by putting a number after the person's name at the top of the sheet-- Robert COOK #1, Robert COOK #2, etc. If there is anyone on the COOK list who did not receive the earlier "recipes", I will be glad to forward them. Happy Hunting! Sue