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Topic: What database or program should I use ? (Read 3964 times)
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Amy K
RootsChat Honorary
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 710
Genealogy: Chasing your own tale!
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Can anybosy suggest a good genealogical programme for One Name Studies?
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mike175
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 769
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi,
Just came across this old un-answered post while browsing around. I guess the problem has been resolved by now but, for what it's worth, I should think it would be best to stick with one of the many proprietary family tree programs. Then you will be able to print it out or export the data as a GEDCOM if you want to share it.
Having experimented with various spreadsheets, dBase, etc. I soon discovered you can spend more time working out how to organise the data than you spend 'inputting' it.
Mike.
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Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Rutland/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex
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Mean_genie
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 658
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Access is very good for this, but I know what you mean about spending more time making it work than entering data - and I've been on a course! You also have to design your own forms and get endlessly distracted trying to make it look pretty.
Custodian software is the one you want for a one-name study (and as far as I can tell it is basically an Access-type database already customised). You might also want to contact the Guild of One-Name Studies www.one-name.org.uk whose members are already doing what you are setting out to do, and have a lot of experience, as you can imagine. Even if you don't want to join, try to get hold of some back numbers of their Journal, which often has articles on this sort of thing.
Mean_genie
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mike175
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 769
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Some of the genealogy programs (eg RootsMagic) do store the data in .dbf files which you can manipulate with dBase or Access etc. But I would copy the files to a new folder and work on them there to avoid corrupting the originals.
It's always worth bearing in mind that you may want to share information with others, so use a format that is accessible. I once developed a dBase accounts package on my old CP/M computer, only to find I then had to print out everything so that the accountant could then re-enter it into his Sage program!
Mike.
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Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Rutland/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex
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Anarchia
RootsChat Member
Posts: 101
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thanks for the information about Custodian - it looks very good indeed. The program might not do everything I was thinking I wanted to do, but it does things I didn't know I wanted to do until I saw it! Unfortunately, my partner thinks he can set me up with Lotus Approach, which seems much, much easier to use than Access (I want to create the tables, forms, links, output formats etc without reading instructions  ), and which we already have (no need to spend 25 pounds). So, it looks like I will be creating tables for a while... Hopefully, I will be able to justify buying Custodian sometime.
Ana
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Baxter, Yorkshire Bezant - Wiltshire
Bluett - Suffolk Buist - Scotland
Chadwick, Yorkshire Gwatkin - Chepstow
Johnson - Ragnall Mason - Nottingham
Mettam - Sutton Parker - Ayrshire
Ryde - Middlesex Smith - London
Tunnard - Tuxford Winchester - Moray
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Mean_genie
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 658
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Lotus Approach! I used to have that, and I managed to set up tables, forms etc without spending a month with an instruction manual, as far as I can remember, much easier to get a grip on than Access.
I am told by a work colleague who has used Custodian for a long time that you can import data from other databases, so with luck you will be able to migrate all your records from Approach when you eventually get Custodian (fingers crossed).
Mean_genie
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pinefamily
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 96
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Found this thread scrolling around eootschat.
When I started my one-name study, I created tables, forms,etc. in Access. A lot of messing around and restarting later, I found I had a reasonable database.
Then, I heard about Custodian, and later The Master Genealogist. This last one is a genealogy program, but I believe can be used for one-name studies. Having already purchased a genealogy program previously, U thought my money better spent on Custodian. 4,500 names later.....
Darren
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Pine/Pyne one-name study
Devon/Dorset- Pine
Gloucestershire/Surrey/Dorset- Dowdeswell
Glasgow- Donnan
Pittaway-Oxfordshire
Snoswell-Kent
Lundquist-Hernosand, Sweden
Lindner-Silesia, Prussia
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behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4248
EDLIN
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I have tried using traditional genealogy programs for a one name database and i find that they rapidly become unmanageable. They are not in general designed to allow you to link people after they have been included.
I find that an Excel Spreadsheet is the best solution. You can in Excel carry out much of the linking which is available in Access.
If you take Gedcom as a model and have a sheet which corresponds to each of the types of Gedcom record (Individual, Family, Note) then a very sophisticated database can be built.
David
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Living in Berkshire. From Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE IN SURNAME INTERESTS, LINK AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Coupland, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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pjbuk007
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 579
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Rootsmap is quite a nice site, but very basic in terms of surname research.
Custodian is used by most one-namers.
http://www.custodian3.co.uk/
But have you joined GOONS?
http://www.one-name.org/
If not, I strongly suggest that you do, it is well worth it. Also well worth registering the name if you have not done so. They have good meetings, and the website has improved a lot, with a growing Wiki which is very helpful.
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BENNET(T); NRY- Brotton, CON BURTON; NRY- Saltburn, Guisborough, Marske, Stokesley Judge Newark Lincoln BURTON , USA DALES; NRY- Brotton, LIN - Orby DAVIES GEORGE: GLA - Oystermouth & Penarth, CON LINCOLN. Middlesbrough, NRY, Durham PERRETT Gloucestershire QUESTED London. Assisting with One-name Study. TRASK; GLA - Cardiff, Barry etc, SOM - South Petherton WESTED Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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mike175
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 769
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I just installed Custodian 3 because so many people seem to recommend it for one-name studies. Now I'm not so sure it was a good idea. I guess you can get used to anything but it sure is hard work, and I'm already beginning to wonder if life is just too short to bother. 
After using RootsMagic (which I highly recommend), in fact after most modern software, it's like turning the clock back 20 years. It reminds me of my early efforts with dBaseII. Certainly not a 'user friendly' interface by modern standards. Every other genealogy program I've tried has been able to import GEDCOM files and incorporate them into the database, but Custodian seems to isolate all the GEDCOM data and leave you to enter the BMDs, etc. manually. Or maybe I've missed something? 
If you're thinking of using Custodian, I suggest you play around with the limited free download for a long time to make sure it works for you.
Mike.
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Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Rutland/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex
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DonHugo
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 22
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Don't re-invent the wheel!
Contact the Group of One Name Studies for advice. They have a wealth of experience.
If 800 or more records are involved, I would not even consider a spreadsheet; I would opt for a database.
The downside of creating your own database is the design effort required, and this should include GEDCOM import/export capability.
DonHugo
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