Potts Database Search

ImportantPlease Read The Search Instructions and Hints First!


Database Revision Date: December 23, 2008



If you are a first time visitor, please view and print the instructions for reading and interpreting the Potts Database search results. Without this information you may have difficulty understanding all of the information provided.


When you have digested the instructions you can enter your search criteria into the fields below. You do not have to enter information in all of the fields. Please carefully read the section Instructions For Entering Searching Criteria which is delineated below the entry form. The use of the wildcard symbol, %, is critical.


Note: There is also a site-searching program called picosearch here. You'll have access to the complete database. For this search the database is partitioned alphabetically, e.g., A_Potts, B_Potts, C_Potts, etc., and you can scroll through each and every entry therein. Just enter the Surname you want and then go to that alphabetical partition. For this type of search click on the pico search link: Search this Site with PicoSearch



For normal Boolean (logical) searches, just enter your criteria in the form below:


Enter Search Criteria:
Given Name(s)
Father
Mother (maiden name)
Birth Year
Birth Location
Spouse1 Maiden Name
Marriage1 Year
Marriage1 Location
Death Year
Death Location
Clear the Form

Instructions For Entering Search Criteria

You can use the % sign as a wild card in any field. For example, if you are searching for a given name beginning with Jam (like James, Jamison, Jamerson, etc.), you can type just Jam% in the Given Names field. If you want to look for all children born to a particular set of parents enter the parents names (father's first name% [e.g., Jonathan%], and/or mothers maiden name% [e.g., Smith%]) in their respective fields.


For instance, a search for Thomas will only retrieve all those individuals who are listed as merely Thomas Potts. But a search for Thomas% will return those who had other given names after Thomas as a first name. And a search for %Thomas% will return all individuals who had Thomas as a first or subsequent given name, e.g., John Thomas Potts, or William Henry Thomas Potts.


A search for a birth year of 1830 will retrieve only those individuals whose birth is listed merely as 1830. A better way to search by birth date is to use %1830%. This will retrieve all individuals whose birth date includes 1830, i.e., including those that might be Ca. 1830 or 1830 Dec 12. You can also use %183% to search for all births listed from 1830 to 1839.


This technique should also be used for search by birth locations. For example a search for a John Potts born in the 1820s in Virginia would use: John% in the Given Name(s) field, %182% in the Birth Year field, and VA% in the Birth Location field. (Locations in the U.S.A. are listed as State, County, City or Town or Township in that order with the State abbreviated to the two letter U. S. Postal Code, in this case VA for Virginia. (Click here for a list of location abbreviations used in the database.)


You do not have to fill all the entry fields with criteria. In fact, it is better if you do not, as it will considerably shorten the search time, and you will probably find your target with just a few of the fields filled in. In any event, you can experiment to find out.



If for some reason the search capability is not working here please take yourself to the alternate site (in Australia) still graciously hosted by Jason H. L. Potts. Just click on the link below. Note: Search capabilities on that site are currently (October 11, 2008) limited to Given Name(s) only.

Alternate Site Search



Homepage Database Structure Search Instructions Search Hints Database Search
Potts References Interpreting Results Location Abbreviations Guest Book Feedback



The Potts Surname Database

Design by Cybet Solutions

Copyright © 2008 by Cyrus E. Potts