Gary What say I? The DISCUSS list is for general FreeBMD discussion. This list allows subscribers to offer opinion as to what we should be doing. Ideas discussed on this list will form a major input to the FreeBMD decision making process. However the last thing we want is to start a flame war by your out of order comments. Please desist from making derogatory comments. Rational discussion to get an end result is the order of play. Allan Raymond [email protected] http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Monarchies_of_Europe.htm FreeBMD - putting birth marriages and deaths on the Internet http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kiwiz Syndicate" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: 28 October 2001 06:28 Subject: Dave: Period means the END !! | Dave Mayall said: | > > 1) There are cases where there is quite distinctly a period following a forename, | > > separate from and different to the row of dots that follow. | > > 2) The use of such a period would appear to be against some but not all records | > > on a page | > > 3) we can conclude that either it means something or is poor typesetting | > > | > > We know that a period following a single letter means that the letter is a | > > contraction of a name to an initial, so I propose a hypothesis that a period | > > following a forename MAY indicate that there are further forenames not indexed snip I don't know which page Dave is on about but I have checked out a number of typed pages here; http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/GUS/1868/Marriages/March/DB-01 1868M1-0007.tif 1868M1-0008.tif 1868M1-0009.tif The fullstop/period denotes the end of something not the opposite. My dictionary says 'Complete cessation'. IMHO the period signifies the end of the forenames, NOT the possible continuance of. Notice they use a comma after a surname MEANING more follows. - Contrary to 2) above: There is a period at the end of EVERY Forename on each page above and if it's not there it's been obliterated. - If there are two forenames the period is only entered after the second name. - Some names have three F'names ie Mary Ann B., the period is at the end (this period must be entered as it's an abbrev.). - I tried to find a 4+ F'name example but could not. But I assume they would write it Mary Ann B C. Maybe someone could give us an example of a name longer than 3 F'names. | Dave Mayall said | > Now, if my hypothesis is bunkum...snip It's worse than bunkum, I think it's a load of hot smelly air to be honest, Dave!. And we're all downwind :-). Logic/common sense has to prevail here at sometime, I'm sure. THE PERIOD is there to say THE END...... and is NOT 'potentially valuable data'. What say you?. Garry KIWIZ Syndicate Co-ordinator ============================== Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 Source for Family History Online. Go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237