Hi, There are two questions that came to my mind as I read Carolyn's last message. I have a rough idea of what the Draper's Papers are, having browsed one book some time ago. However, I could not figure out what system they are under, or how to find if my ancestors made it into the Papers. There was no one available or willing to assist me with my questions at that particular library. Second, I have heard of the Doomsday Book. What is it? I have been researching a long time and should know, but I don't. Thanks to Carolyn and anyone else who can help me out here. Barb T

Hi Barb and all; I should be more specific in referring to these things! I'm glad you asked. The Domesday (but pronounced Doomsday) Book was William the Conqueror's great assessment of England, which he has just wrested from the natives! The Conquest was in 1066, and the Domesday assessment begun and formally compiled about 20 years later. The Domesday can serve as a tax record, a census, an inventory, and the earliest broad historical record of "the English." It goes from county to county, village to village, farm to farm. It is wonderful, and gives a picture of our (those of us with British history) earliest selves. There is a abbreviated, searchable transcript online: http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/ The Draper Manuscripts are a massive collection of interviews, copied documents, letters, diaries, etc. pertaining to persons and events concerning the expanding frontier. There are 491 notebooks, which have been microfilmed on 123 reels. They are available on interlibrary loan. Draper was especially interested in Daniel Boone and many of his contempories, so there is much of interest to persons interested in Kentucky beginnings. Draper lived in the mid to late 1800's but his collections especially pertain to the Colonial and Revolutionary eras. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/special/draper/ The Draper Homepage has some interviews and an index to the microfilm. http://www.webpub.com/~jhagee/draper.html With love and best New Year Wishes Barb, Your Cousin, Carolyn

The Doomsday book was began by Wm the Conqueror aft 1066 to record the important peoples of England the country he had just acquired. similar to our census. Draper was a gent who went around collecting all info on folks in the original backcountry settlements talking to descendants of same. Very fascinating stuff, i did find the progenitor of the MS QUIN family of NC in his papers. There is an INDEX to find what names are in these papers, but you have to ask for it and then look up the reel you need. at least that was the case about 5 years ago. I think it is much more easily accessible now - I found the papers at the UNIVERSITY library in Orlando, at that time Universities were the only place that had them. hope this helps. josie At 12:03 AM 1/2/2002 -0500, you wrote: >Hi, >There are two questions that came to my mind as I read Carolyn's last >message. I have a rough idea of what the Draper's Papers are, having >browsed one book some time ago. However, I could not figure out what >system they are under, or how to find if my ancestors made it into the >Papers. There was no one available or willing to assist me with my >questions at that particular library. Second, I have heard of the >Doomsday Book. What is it? I have been researching a long time and >should know, but I don't. Thanks to Carolyn and anyone else who can help >me out here. > >Barb T > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, >go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237