This illustration should help you understand how the information on each individual is stored in the database. The method is designed for enhanced search techniques.
| Given Name(s) | Abernatha/Abarintha | Children-2 | 5 |
| Father | William, Jr. | >Spouse-3 Surname | |
| Mother | Howard, Rebecca Ann | Spouse-3 F-Name | |
| Birth Date | 1825 Aug 25 | Marr-3 Date | |
| Birth Location | SC | Marr-3 Location | 1850: 13th Route 8 East |
| Spouse-1 Surname | Galphin/Golphin | Children-3 | |
| Spouse-1 F-Name | Thomas Milledge | Death Date | |
| Marr-1 Date | Ca. 1845? | Death Location | |
| Marr-1 Location | MS or LA? | Census Data | 1850MS,Attala Co. |
| Children-1 | Source | TPF, BBW | |
| Spouse-2 Surname | Gahagan | Reference Number | 35.chart |
| Spouse-2 F-Name | Lawrence | Other Number | p. 410½ |
| Marr-2 Date | Ca. 1859 | Ancestral Line | Georgetown Dist., SC |
| Marr-2 Location | SC, GA or LA? | Comment | BBW, p. 33 |
The left column (gray background)displays the field names used to store the information in this individual record. Each field name may be searched to locate a certain value, e.g., like a birth year, or a maiden name of a spouse, etc. The right column (white backgroud)displays the actual information stored for this individual. If you look at the Source field (5th from the bottom on the right) you can see that two sources are specified. But there is also an entry in the Census_Data field so there are actually three sources for the information in the record, two publications and a census enumeration.
Two given names are displayed, most likely because the name in the census enumeration differed from the name in the publication(s). Note that for Spouse1_Surname two names are also given. Here again, the sources must have differed. Also note that the Marr3_Location field, since it is not used for a third marriage, is used to store additional information - the address where Abernatha/Aberintha was living in 1850 when the census was taken. Also note that there is no entry for the Issue1 field. This means that the information is not known. If it were known that the couple produced no children then there would be a 0 after Issue1. Finally, note that in the case of both marriages, the exact location is not known. But in this case other clues suggest some possible locations and they are listed followed by a question mark to indicate uncertainty.
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The Potts Surname Database
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