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Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

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Searching records for exact names

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Alan

Alan Report 20 Jan 2011 08:57

The record search is a very useful facility - if you understand what you are getting.

When searching censuses for records you may be told there are several EXACT matches, and invited to upgrade to look at them.

EXACT match appears to mean that an entry
- includes at least one of the christian names.
- includes the place, if specified, in the birth or census location
- matches the birth year, if specified

If a birth year and/or place is specified but wrong, you get CLOSE matches and an explanation.

Suppose you search the 1901 census for Ethel Maud M Stoner.

There are 14 EXACT matches. Some are Ethel, some are Maud.

If you add Place Sussex, there are 8 EXACT results.

If you add year of birth 1895 (wrong) there are 10 CLOSE results and an explanation.

Adding 1896 gets 3 EXACT results, and as it happens one is EXACT, but there's no guarantee of a match that is exactly what was specified.

Researching:
Stoner