Dear Wolf, Thank you very much for your reply of 11 November! You wrote: >The fact that this information is available in German only is certainly a >drawback for many users : this is not a technical problem - just a manpower >problem; if anyone is willing to translate these texts into English (well - >better be a group of people) we'll put them into the database. Anyone >willing to contribute should contact me directly at ><mailto:wolf@swissmail.com>. I welcome your initiative, and will forward the translations I make of the records I extract from the database in my research as I go along. The predominant question on my part is how far I can deviate from the format of the original text. I usually transcribe the words into readable prose: "$ der Rusterholtz bebaut den Hof auf der Gisenrüti 1404 Wädenswil %" becomes "The first known mention of the name occurred in 1404, when _der Rusterholtz_ -- "the (man) Rusterholz" -- inhabited the farm on the Gisenrüti in the municipality of Wädenswil." Is this all right with you? >I hope you find the Swiss Surname Directory > http://swiss.genealogy.net/surnam-m.htm >useful and wish you all the best with your future research - Wolf Yes, I find it useful! By the way, is the member option located at http://iseli.simplenet.com/ch-names/enter/ disabled? I am no longer able to review or create a profile. Kjell Ove Hattrem