Author Topic: Organising certificates - how to group  (Read 4044 times)

Offline Deirdre784

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Organising certificates - how to group
« on: Sunday 17 June 18 18:32 BST (UK) »
After 8 years I’m finally about to start filing my huge collection of certificates. They are currently in 4 large box files, one for my mum’s family, one for my dad, and same for my husband’s side. Still in GRO envelopes! Wondering if this will be enough, or if i need to go back one more level, so have 4 binders for each of us? Have one landscape binder, pockets, backing card and dividers on order as a start.

My main puzzle is what to do with the females... birth certificate belongs with their parents, but do you file the marriage certificate there too so you know who she marries (they’d fit nicely back to back), then her death with her husband (but that would be his birth and 2 deaths, so would need 1 and a half pockets). Or do you file a copy of the marriage certificate in both names? How about subsequent marriages?

Have done several searches both on here and google, but not found anything to help with this puzzle; apologies if i’ve missed something useful. Guess there will be options, but would love to hear some ideas. Thanks.
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline mike175

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 17 June 18 23:08 BST (UK) »
One way would be to file the certificates in order using the GRO reference number. You could then add the appropriate reference numbers to each individual's record. That way you only need one copy of each certificate.

Much depends on how you store your data. I use RootsMagic software and add the reference number to the event source, which works whether your certificates are paper or digital.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of other suggestions.

Mike.
Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex/London, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex, Wyatt - Essex/Kent

Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 17 June 18 23:12 BST (UK) »
Thanks Mike, that’s one way I hadn’t thought of. Think i’d prefer family groups though, so plenty to think about 😀
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 17 June 18 23:41 BST (UK) »
Not dismissing the suggestion from Mike but I find it easier to keep info. in date & event order as it's far easier to look for/find a date (easier recalled) than any ref. no. but we all work different?

I keep them in order of event i.e. BMD

Edit to add (alongside each person/couple by surname) or if unmarried they're kept with their parents  ;D

Annie

South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

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Offline Clarkey500

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #4 on: Monday 18 June 18 00:35 BST (UK) »
Still in the envelopes! I lose them in the excitement of finding out what's inside or they get mixed with the wrapping paper if I have them for my birthday/Christmas presents! I do keep the paper letter that comes with it though. 

I have a few folders for my certificates, including one long certificate file which contains all my long certificates to keep them safe.

However all certificates, long and short, are ordered in date order, so they're easier to find. They are then ordered into birth and stillbirth, marriage and divorse, and death (except for the long certificates). Although, I still get confused at the one certificate where the GRO have put 18XX (can't remember the year and I'm away at the moment) rather than 19XX as it seems out of order, but it isn't!
Devon: Bibby, Bird, Chaplin, Davey, Littlejohns, Pope, Shire, Sloman, Tucker
Dorset: Gauler
Gloucestershire: Gauler
Hampshire: Kimber
London: Crump, Gauler
Middlesex: Crump
Monmouthshire: Brunt
Northumberland: Bibby
Somerset: Clarke, Dibble, Duddridge, Parsons, Pool, Poole, Shire, Silvester
Surrey: Clarke
Wiltshire: Gauler

GEDmatch (myself): A869547
GEDmatch (my maternal grandfather):A933749
GEDmatch (my maternal grandmother): NY7596565

Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #5 on: Monday 18 June 18 06:25 BST (UK) »
Thanks both, date order getting popular!

I’m always excited to get mine too but it seemed a good way to keep them safe until i was ready to file them properly. I use a pencil to note what’s in the envelope and add them to the relevant box, in name order (surname, first name).
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #6 on: Monday 18 June 18 07:56 BST (UK) »
After 8 years I’m finally about to start filing my huge collection of certificates. They are currently in 4 large box files, one for my mum’s family, one for my dad, and same for my husband’s side. Still in GRO envelopes! Wondering if this will be enough, or if i need to go back one more level, so have 4 binders for each of us? Have one landscape binder, pockets, backing card and dividers on order as a start.

My main puzzle is what to do with the females... birth certificate belongs with their parents, but do you file the marriage certificate there too so you know who she marries (they’d fit nicely back to back), then her death with her husband (but that would be his birth and 2 deaths, so would need 1 and a half pockets). Or do you file a copy of the marriage certificate in both names? How about subsequent marriages?

Have done several searches both on here and google, but not found anything to help with this puzzle; apologies if i’ve missed something useful. Guess there will be options, but would love to hear some ideas. Thanks.

First before you think of doing anything else take them all out of the envelopes and store them unfolded and flat.
Any paper stored folded will deteriorate along the crease (fold line) and will eventually tear along that crease.

How you arrange your documents in storage really depends to a great extent on how you are going to access those documents.
Do you want to be able to browse your archive and read all the information you have on one person or do you simply want to dip in and out easily when you need to confirm something?

You must also take into account the size of the documents you are archiving.
I would suggest that you archive similar sized documents together as problems occur if the sizes vary greatly.
Do you already have a database in use (i.e. do you use a family tree program)?

I would suggest forgetting all about family groupings or even date & event order as the main way of archiving family history and simply use the numbering system allocated to the person by the computer.
Keeping in mind document sizes I give each document the computer allocated number followed by letters to describe the document type
Example:
B,M or D for birth certificates etc.
Bap, PRM or Bur for parish register entry
Ml marriage licence
W & Deed for wills and House deeds etc., etc.

I store all similar sized documents, such as certificates, parish register entry and licences, together for the same individual by computer number followed by event order. This keeps most family groups together but that depends on how your research developed.
This system also allows digital images of each document to be stored on the computer in a logical order but does mean having a range of files, boxes or draws etc. to keep your documents in.

Cheers
Guy
http://anguline.co.uk/Framland/index.htm   The site that gives you facts not promises!
http://burial-inscriptions.co.uk Tombstones & Monumental Inscriptions.

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Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #7 on: Monday 18 June 18 08:48 BST (UK) »
Thanks for that Guy, very useful info (i’ll read and digest it again later). Will get the first batch out of the envelopes.

All but 2 of my ‘old’ certs are A4 landscape, mainly GRO, with 2 old originals which are longer, plus a few newer ones which are annoyingly portrait.

Probably don’t need to access them much as all the details have been added to my tree. Just want to preserve them - i have deaths going back as far as some of my 5th great grandparents and my husband to several 7ths 😀

I use Family Historian but not sure how it numbers anyone (not used numbers before). 
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline Mowsehowse

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Re: Organising certificates - how to group
« Reply #8 on: Monday 18 June 18 09:14 BST (UK) »
This conundrum always has me foxed!
You already have several interesting suggestions to consider....

It seems to me any system used needs to be obvious to the person who comes along next, when I'm not there to explain matters.

Using GRO numbers or date order would mean having to flick through a lot when searching for a specific document, so I think I would favour name grouping.

However, a card index for each individual on a tree, in alphabetical order could, not only show basic BMD etc, but also list documents with reference numbers and storage details, which may make everything easier to find.

Generally speaking I feel offspring stay with their parent grouping until marriage, when the bride moves to the family group of her married name.  Details of her marriage would be last entry in her parent grouping and thus make her easy to find with new in-laws.
BORCHARDT in Poland/Germany, BOSKOWITZ in Czechoslovakia, Hungary + Austria, BUSS in Baden, Germany + Switzerland, FEKETE in Hungary + Austria, GOTTHILF in Hammerstein + Berlin, GUBLER, GYSI, LABHARDT & RYCHNER in Switzerland, KONIG & KRONER in Germany, PLACZEK, WUNSCH & SILBERBERG in Poland.

Also: ROWSE in Brixham, Tenby, Hull & Ramsgate. Strongman, in Falmouth. Champion. Coke. Eame/s. Gibbons. Passmore. Pulsever. Sparkes in Brixham & Ramsgate. Toms in Cornwall. Waymoth. Wyatt.