FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Waypointing/North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1978

Information
Project Name: North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1978

Project Owner: Vickie Scott, [mailto:victoria.p.scott@gmail.com victoria.p.scott@gmail.com]; Ed Pattishall, [mailto:publications@ncgenealogy.org publications@ncgenealogy.org]

Alternative Contacts: Ariel Bean, [mailto:bean@ldschurch.org bean@ldschurch.org]

Instructions

 * Go to “File,” “Open Project,” and select one of the counties from “North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1978” found in the drop-down menu, and click “OK.” You can access the drop-down menu in two ways. Either begin typing the project name into the empty box, or click the drop-down arrow to the right, and scroll down the list of projects to North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1978.


 * When the digitized film finishes loading, highlight the first group of Administrative images in the Thumbnails window. Any image that was not part of the original record should be an Administrative waypoint.


 * You can highlight images in several ways. You can click and drag your mouse cursor across the desired image range. You can also click the first image in the range, hold the shift key, and click the last image in the range to highlight all images between. Finally, you can hold the control key, and click on an image to highlight it, without losing the highlight on any other images.


 * Once the first group of Administrative images is highlighted, click the “New” button, found on the Template side of the Waypoints window.


 * Scroll through the rest of the Thumbnails and repeat the highlight and “New” action for each group of Administrative images you find. Most folders will have several Administrative groups in the middle.


 * Once all Administrative images are marked, switch the Template in the Waypoints window from “Administrative” to “Consolidated Form.”


 * The Consolidated Form for this project has the following fields:


 * 1) County: All films should be divided into their own county. This should be the same for the whole film.
 * 2) Probate Estate Year: The year written on the label of the file folder. • If “n.d.” is on the label, leave this field blank and type “No date” in the Notes field (without quotation marks). • If the label does not include a year, leave this field blank and type “No date” in the Notes field (without quotation marks). • Include only the year on the label. Do NOT include date modifiers such as ca., circa, about, est., or approx. • If the label includes a span of years, such as 1894-1896 (or 1894/5), type only the first year (which in these examples would be “1894”). • A date of 187– should be typed as “1870s.” • If there are two years on the label, which may occur when a husband and wife share one folder, type both years in this field separated by an ampersand. For example, type “1894 &amp; 1907.”
 * 3) Given Name: The given name written on the label of the file folder. • Do NOT use punctuation (periods or commas). • If the label does not include a given name, leave this field blank and type “No given name” in the Notes field. • If the label includes ““ or “????” leave this field blank and type “No given name” in the Notes field. • Titles (both prefixes and suffixes) such as Mrs., Dr., Capt., and Sr. should be entered after the given name without punctuation. Examples: Jane (Mrs), Joseph (Dr), and John (Jr). • If there are two given names with the same surname, type “Joseph &amp; Jane” in the Given Name field. Type “Smith” in the surname field. Use “&amp;” instead of the word “and.” • Spelling variations are treated as AKAs. o Example: For “Sarah (Sallie) Jones” type “Sarah” in the Given Name field, “Jones” in the Surname field, and “Sallie Jones” in the AKA Name field. • If there are two given names associated with different surnames, enter the first name as usual and type the second name in the Notes field (e.g, “see Joseph Smith 1756”).
 * 4) Surname: The surname written on the label of the file folder. • Treat a maiden name as an AKA. Example: If the label says “Jane (née Jones) Cooper” type “Jane” in the Given Name field, type “Cooper” in the Surname field, and type “Jane Jones” in the AKA Name field. • Spelling variations are treated as AKAs. o Example: For “John McCann(s)” type “John” in the Given Name field, “McCann” in the Surname field, and “John McCanns” in the AKA Name field. o Example: For “Robert McCullo(c)h (McCullough)” type “Robert” in the Given Name field, type “McCulloh” in the Surname field. Type “Robert McCulloch, Robert McCullough” in the AKA Name field. o Be sure and include the given name along with the alternative surname. • When a folder is labeled “Miscellaneous” or “Unnamed Decedent,” enter it in the Surname field exactly as written.
 * 5) AKA Name: Alternative given names or surnames on the label of the file folder. • This field is left blank unless as an alias is written on the label. • Do NOT treat prefixes and suffixes (such as Mrs. and Jr.) as AKA names. • Label entries of “See John Mills 1780” should NOT be treated as AKAs. These entries are not alternative names, rather they point the user to a related folder. Type “See John Mills 1780” in the Notes field.
 * 6) Notes: This field should be left blank with the following exceptions: • If there is no year on the label, type “No date” in the Notes field. • If the label includes “n.d.” type “No date” in the Notes field. • If there is no given name on the label, type “No given name” in the Notes field. • Type “See John Mills 1780” when the label identifies another folder the user should review. • If the last folder so indicates, type “Folder refilmed on next microfilm” in the Notes field. (See instructions below) • Separate multiple entries with commas.


 * Once the Consolidated Form is complete, highlight the estate file it applies to and click “New.”


 * Repeat this process until all estate files have been Waypointed with their own Consolidated Form.


 * When you are confident that all waypoints are correct, click “Finished.” You will not be able to click the “Finished” button until all images have been assigned a waypoint. A new film should load, or you can start with step 1 of these instructions to open a new film.

Helpful Tips:

 * Do NOT correct the spelling shown on the label of the folder.
 * Do NOT add names, dates, or other information found within a folder.
 * Multiple folders for one individual (i.e., Folder 1, Folder 2, etc.) should be combined into one Consolidated Form. However, do NOT combine folders unless the labels indicate all folders are for the same person. (No guessing).
 * Check the last page of the last folder to see if the folder was refilmed. If so, type "Folder refilmed on next microfilm" in the Notes field (without quotation marks) and include this page in the last Consolidated Form rather than with the Administrative pages.
 * When finished, check for highlighted entries that denote waypointing errors (i.e., overlapping files).
 * Some folders included in the collection are empty but list soundex research aides (ex. An empty folder that might have "Smith. See also Smythe" written on it). When you come across one of these folders please mark it as an Administrative image.
 * Note from Ed Pattishall: "FamilySearch took each folder in sequence and imaged each paper in that folder, usually with the tab showing for which folder the paper was in. They then put them in a group of about 2000 images, similar to what might be on a microfilm roll. For waypointing, we are only associating the group of images for each folder tab. We do not look at the contents of the images. Although some appear to be in error or wrong, they were the paper in that person's file in the NC State Archives and they may be a relative or some other reason it is in there. But you don't need to worry about it. When waypointing, you find the first image with a name on the tab, type in the year, given name, and surname. Then find the last image that still has the same tab information (it can be anywhere from one image to hundreds). Click on the first, then shift click on the last (selecting all those images in that person's folder, and click on 'new'. This associates all the images with that tab information. Then you move on to the next. While each group of images ususally has about 2,000 images, there may be 50 - 120 waypoints (or folder tabs) associated with those images. You don't need to read anything on an image except the tab, unless the tab is missing. But they are in sequence so if one is missing and there is another after it with the same tab, it must be included. [For] example, find the first image for [John Smith] on the tab, fill in the tab information on the upper left hand screen. Then find the last image with the same tab (making sure it is the same name &amp; year), hit 'Shift' and click on the last image, and all images in between will be highlighted. Then click new to add them to the waypoint (the next screen over from the one you filled in). Then go on to the next. So the if the image for a person who died in Burke County has the tab for [John Smith], it is not an error. It was a paper located in [John Smith's] file at the NC State Archives and should be associated with his folder."