Simple search method
The simplest method is to enter just the family name (surname) on its own e.g. enter:.
Will
This finds entries with family name
'Will', 'Williams', 'Goodwill', 'MacWilliam', 'van der Will'(see below) etc.
Underlined names (Links)
If additional information is available about a person who appears on the results table,
their name will be underlined.
This provides a link to another page on KaeLewis.com where
photos, captions, text, references, and web links may be listed.
The formal search method
You can narrow the search using two names in the formal method:
Familyname, Firstname
divided by a comma e.g.
Smith, John
The informal search method
If you prefer the the informal method
Firstname Familyname
divided by a space e.g.
John Smith
Searches less than 4 characters in length restricted
Typing a family name longer than 3 characters results in a search for all names
containing that string of characters (as described in item 1).
But if you type a family name of three characters or less, the search is restricted
to names that exactly match the this word.
This, and other features of the database,
prevents unscrupulous companies from copying the whole database and charging people to use it.
Short first names
You are unlikely to find short abbreviated first names such as
Pat, Bill and Jim as these were very rarely used in the 1800s.
Middle Names or Initials
Most entries in the records do not include a middle name or initial.
Any middle initials or middle names are removed from the query that you enter.
Names beginning with Mac or Mc
The program uses a special search method for these names.
The abbreviation M' was used in some old records instead of Mac or Mc.
A search with Mac or Mc will find all names containing Mac, Mc or M'
e.g. A search including the family name McDonald also finds MacDonald and M'Donald.
To do this search the Mac part is taken off, leaving a shortened family name.
See the notes about restrictions on short family names.
Family names containing spaces
Because the informal method (above) uses a space to separate first name from last name,
there is a problem with family names containing spaces getting split.
For example, the family name van Praagh is split into first name van and family name Praagh.
In that case just enter Praagh.
Structure of the database
The name table is made up of a record for each person containing:
- ID Number
- Firstname (including middle names or initials and title e.g. Sir)
- FAMILYNAME
- Subscript (e.g. Senior)
- DATE
- LOCATION
- etc
About The computer programs:
This web site records the data in a MySQL database.
A program written in the PHP language runs on the server and collects data from the MySQL database.
It then creates a web page (including a table of names) in HTML to send back to the user.
It also automatically generates pages of HTML about any miners
for whom additional information is available.
These names appear as underlined links in the results table.
The site was developed on an Apple Mac computer using Dreamweaver, TextEdit and PhotoShop.
It has been written as a general purpose name search program so that it can be used
to search various lists of names and could even be offered as a service to genealogists.
About the authors of the software:
Kae Lewis PhD compiled all the data on this site, provided the concept and wrote the HTML for the home page
and other associated pages and links.
The server-side software was written by her husband.
Please contact us if you are interested in the software.
Evan Lewis PhD, MD.
AEDLewis@gmail.com
elewis@chartertn.net
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