I appreciate all who clarified what was what and to whom it belonged when. . . I get a bit befuddled myself on some of that (thank goodness for Google). However, as to the original question. First, determine the actual name and political unit of the place in question AT the time of the event. Second. In the database make an entry that reflects the past and the present. The easiest way is to put either: This Place, This Duchy (now) Neiderlosheim. . . OR Neiderlosheim. . . , (then) This place, this Duchy. Remember that your goal is (should be?) always to "remember the reader/researcher who follows in your footsteps." You want those reading your reports, or otherwise "coming after you" to know two things. First, what was the place called when the event took place. Second. How would I find it if I wanted to go there. So, to use Ron's example below, for a marriage in Virginia in 1773, I would put Colony of Virginia (now Virginia). Depending on the software, you might want to put a note of clarification with the event. The Master Genealogist allows you to "restrict" labels by date. So, should you put "New York" for an event that occurred before a particular date, it would give you a warning. We run into this very problem frequently with counties, states, and territories that change boundaries over the years. I have many with "Arizona Territory" or "New Mexico Territory" or "Territory of Hawaii" in my records. Those I generally wouldn't bother to "clarify." But one I can think of that would require that is one from the "New Mexico Territory" but was in what became the "Arizona Territory" and is now "Arizona." I don't bother to list all the possible iterations (especially with some of the European states), but at least that contemporary with the event and the current. An example of this is an 1808 Petition for Citizenship for an ancestor who was "clearly German" -- but was "subject to the Emperor of France." You'd have to know where Boney was at that time to narrow in on what "Germanic" states he was "emperor" of. BTW, still haven't got that one for sure. But, in putting the "born in" event in the database, I put where I "think" he was, based on the research, along with the current name of the region. Pat In Tucson -----Original Message----- From: roots-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:roots-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Nivard Ovington Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 3:09 PM To: Ron Mitchell Cc: ROOTS-L: rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Niederlosheim Losheim am See, Merzig-Wadern, Saarland, Germany , a ? Hi Ron I think what matters is what it means to the individual whose tree it is , I would be highly surprised if there are no similar mistakes in my tree, but as its my tree I know what it means and if I find an error along the way I will change it when I find it I really wish I had known better when I started off, to record the source and more fully at that, several times I have had to go over the same ground again to check I had the right data But there again in so doing I have often found additional data I missed the first time round so perhaps its a worthy cause :-) Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK)

FWIW, Niederlosheim was never in a duchy. It's Elector of Trier (better known as Archbishop of Trier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electorate_of_Trier The position was most powerful in the Holy Roman Empire before Napoleon put an end to that. So, bottom line, sometimes it is better to list Prussia in lieu of those crazy nitty small kingdoms in that area. David On 6/7/2012 7:09 PM, Kith-n-Kin wrote: > I appreciate all who clarified what was what and to whom it belonged when. . > . I get a bit befuddled myself on some of that (thank goodness for Google). > > However, as to the original question. > > First, determine the actual name and political unit of the place in question > AT the time of the event. > Second. In the database make an entry that reflects the past and the > present. > > The easiest way is to put either: > > This Place, This Duchy (now) Neiderlosheim. . . > > OR > > Neiderlosheim. . . , (then) This place, this Duchy. > > Remember that your goal is (should be?) always to "remember the > reader/researcher who follows in your footsteps." > > You want those reading your reports, or otherwise "coming after you" to know > two things. First, what was the place called when the event took place. > Second. How would I find it if I wanted to go there. > > So, to use Ron's example below, for a marriage in Virginia in 1773, I would > put > > Colony of Virginia (now Virginia). > > Depending on the software, you might want to put a note of clarification > with the event. The Master Genealogist allows you to "restrict" labels by > date. So, should you put "New York" for an event that occurred before a > particular date, it would give you a warning. > > We run into this very problem frequently with counties, states, and > territories that change boundaries over the years. I have many with "Arizona > Territory" or "New Mexico Territory" or "Territory of Hawaii" in my records. > Those I generally wouldn't bother to "clarify." But one I can think of that > would require that is one from the "New Mexico Territory" but was in what > became the "Arizona Territory" and is now "Arizona." I don't bother to list > all the possible iterations (especially with some of the European states), > but at least that contemporary with the event and the current. > > An example of this is an 1808 Petition for Citizenship for an ancestor who > was "clearly German" -- but was "subject to the Emperor of France." You'd > have to know where Boney was at that time to narrow in on what "Germanic" > states he was "emperor" of. BTW, still haven't got that one for sure. > > But, in putting the "born in" event in the database, I put where I "think" > he was, based on the research, along with the current name of the region. > > Pat > In Tucson > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: roots-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:roots-bounces@rootsweb.com] On > Behalf Of Nivard Ovington > Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 3:09 PM > To: Ron Mitchell > Cc: ROOTS-L: rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Niederlosheim Losheim am See, Merzig-Wadern, > Saarland, Germany , a ? > > Hi Ron > > I think what matters is what it means to the individual whose tree it is , I > would be highly surprised if there are no similar mistakes in my tree, but > as its my tree I know what it means and if I find an error along the way I > will change it when I find it > > I really wish I had known better when I started off, to record the source > and more fully at that, several times I have had to go over the same ground > again to check I had the right data > > But there again in so doing I have often found additional data I missed the > first time round so perhaps its a worthy cause :-) > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > > ===== > If you would prefer digest mode to mail mode, drop a note to roots-admin@rootsweb.com and ask for the digest... > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >