FYI. --------------------- Forwarded message: From: rmiller.bud@worldnet.att.net (RMiller) To: ROGERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: 97-11-25 11:07:10 EST ALL ROGERS researchers. The following "snip" was taken from another BBoard written by Misty Flannigan;Corrdinator for the LADD surname list, but it can apply to any query. I think it will help in your quest, if you can follow her suggestions. Bud, In Fla rmiller.bud@worldnet.att.net ====================================== >Orig post LADD-L Surname list Date: Thu, 20 Nov 97 05:40:18 +0000 > >There is a common problem running through these queries, which I have >mentioned many times, and will probably mention again. That is that >queries online need more information than most of you are providing in >order to actually be effective. In fact, I think this is more important >for online queries than for print media queries. The reason for this is >that people who have been around genealogy long enough to learn about >printed periodicals are generally better at interpreting information and >spotting potential connections than people online, who are often very >new beginners. Then,consider the way you read the mail you get >online--pretty fast, and I bet a lot of it you skip all together if the >subject line doesn't seem pertinent. So, you get one quick shot to hook >a reader. That is your subject line which must be descriptive enough to >draw the interest. Then, if the reader opens and reads your letter, he >needs to see information he can compare with his own meager information >and possibly realize it's worth further exploration. > > Your queries really need to sell your case. It is better >to write some query than worry about if you are doing the right thing, >but it is better yet to give some thought to what you would like to see >in a query and write accordingly. > > Please, please look up your counties. Almost all genealogy >information is organized by counties. If one person has a person from >Barton and another has a person from Benton, That may not seem of much >interest to each other, but if they see that Barton and Benton are in >the same county, that looks a little more useful. Plus it will save me >a ton of work and you will get faster replies as I look through the 4" >stack of printouts. > > Please, please don't give up too easily. You write to >another person (probably I reccommended) and then you write me two days >later and say, oh we couldn't find a connection. I beg your pardon, but >if I had reason to suggest getting together, then that possibility needs >to be kept in the back of your mind, and I'd bet it takes longer than >two days to find what you need to know. Every time you find another >tidbit, you need to check back with that person. If two families are >from the same county, you need to be thoroughly familiar with both >families, if for no other reason, to evaluate any new information you >find. > > Please be willing to do some basic research. Find out how >to access census and other records. There are plenty of people around >who will be glad to give you tips. Ask on the list if you don't know. I >feel we are not utilizing this list as much as we should be to get help >with our research problems. Some people do luck out and find someone who >has done all the research for their families, but most of us don't, and >we can use the online services to find out how to find out as much as >for getting basic facts. > > Finally, I want to mention that courtesy is as important >online as off. If someone gives you a tip, take a moment to say thanks. >If you follow up on that tip, write to the person and tell him how it >worked out. Some of the comments I have received about experiences some >of you have had with online contacts are a pretty sad commentary on what >we do online. I am probably as guilty of this an anyone. It is partly >because of our perception of online contacts as immediate and >fast-paced, but let's keep our wits about us. > > I personally don't have any objection to thoughtful comments >on queries we see. If you see a query that you say, I wonder what census >he meant, then post a query and ask him. His reply on the list would >help edify the rest of us. (See above comment on courtesy.) If you have >looked at records for a place mentioned by someone else, or perhaps even >spotted an online source, it will make the list more valuable if you >mention it. Maybe that person will have something that helps you. I am >personally delighted to see so many new names and hear about so many new >families. But the list, any list, is as useful as we all make it. > > How to write a query and get results. What good will a >query do if no one has a clue of who you are researching. > > > Your query at minimum should contain a name, a date and a >place. Some purists insist on a question. > > Don't: I am searching the Ladds from VA > Do: I am researching Jeramiah Ladd,, died Franklin Co., IL > Better:I am researching Jeramiah Ladd, b abt 1792 NC, died >1855/1860 Franklin Co IL. Listed on 1812 tax list > Franklin co AL, and moved to Franklin Co, IL by 1820. His >first wife was Mary ?. Was the Jonathan Ladd > always listed near him in census 1830-1850 his brother? >(Additional information could include his children's > names, the brother Jeramiah' children, who the children >married, his war of 1812 service.) > > But, you say, I don't know anything. I beg to differ with you >on that, you almost always do know more than "I am > researching Ladds of Virginia," or even "John Doe married Judy >Ladd and they went to KY.". The problem is, it > takes some thought to understand that what you know is >actually information. Here are some questions to ask > people. > > 1. How are you related? You got there by way of your pedigree, >so give us a sentence about each couple on the > way to finding a Ladd in the tree. "My grandmother Jane Doe >born 1920 Barbour Co KY, and her father James > Doe b 1895 KY, lived Barbour Co as long as Grandma can >remember, and his mother was Judy Ladd I estimate > born around 1870, and his father was John Doe." You would get >answers from people with a Doe/Ladd > connection, a Barbour Co connection, or a Judy Ladd born in >that time frame in KY. > > 2. What is the time frame? > > 3. Where have your family members come from? "Emily Ladd" >married George Fiddlefaddle about 1890 since > her oldest son was born 1892 at Barry Co TN. Right after that >they moved to Fannin co TX, and in 1920 to > Oklahoma City OK." That would get you answers from people >researching Barry Co TN, Fannin co TX and any > Fiddlefaddle. It gives people several hooks to grab. > > 4. What county is the town you mentioned? If you don't know, >that can be your first research project. Try a road > atlas or go to or call the library in your town and ask. The >act of finding this out is the essence of genealogy > research. It has the further benefit that, I, sitting here in >my genealogy room surrounded by Ladd information, will > know what folder or notebook to grab, and I wouldn't be a bit >surprised if a few other people have some Ladd > collections, too, probably all organized by county. > > 5. How do you know this information? If you say, I found it in >the census, say which census, year and county and > state. My grandmother told me... We have an old Bible... I >wrote for their death certificates... Their tombstones > say.... Any one of those sentences seems to put you in the >presence of the person himself. You can relate to > another person whose grandmother told him or who went to the >cemetery, and in your mind, you know that is a > solid starting point. So it becomes a story. You are thinking, >okay, now what happened next?.... > > The above names are not Ladd ancestors, just an example of >writing a query. > > I do appreciate those people who were thoughtful enough to ask >me to explain. I should tell you that query writing > is a subject of practically every genealogical conference or >workshop and I am sure there is at least one book > about it. It is hard to catch on to how to go about finding >out more about our ancestors. Now, my hope is that we > will get a ton of newly rewritten queries with all of the >above incorporated. In magazines you are sometimes > charged by the word, but one of the great advantages of e-mail >is that you can write offline and post, maybe as > much as two or three paragraphs (!) and tell us all about your >Ladds. On the Ladd mailing list, it will be read by a > goodly number of people who are actually interested in Ladds, >and here on the Ladd Digging Ground Web Page > it will be read by a bunch more who are interested in Ladd. >So, write on. > > >-- >mailto:misty@midwest.net >http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljeffer/ >ILGenWeb Jefferson Co Coordinator >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmarion/marionco.htm >ILGenWeb Marion Co Coordinator >http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5807 ========================================= ==== ROGERS Mailing List ==== Unsubscribe? Send the message UNSUBSCRIBE to: ROGERS-L-request@rootsweb.com or .... ROGERS-D-request@rootsweb.com for DIGEST ==== SNOW Mailing List ==== 8 SNOW group listowner mailto:sundance@neosoft.com privately; Please post research to list. Dont cross post lists. Ask H for help: Please privately e-mail Harold the listowner thanks and/or critique; Harold Helm 2306 Westgate, Houston TEXAS 77019 USA (713) 529-2333