This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/iUI.2ACIB/1934.1.1.1
Message Board Post:
This post is an attempt to answer the overwhelming volume of emails I am receiving. I do
not mean to be rude in attempting to answer so many emails with one post, I will
eventually answer each individual email. I just felt that I at least owed you the
courtesy of some form of reply. It also, does not bother me to receive the emails, so
please continue, just be aware that I am receiving an extra large volume, in addition to
the emails I receive normally, personal and from other boards/lists. I do need to ask that
when you email, please include a subject. My anti-spam software automatically deletes
messages with no subject. I am having to watch my "delete" file for unread
messages, scan them for virus, then read the message. So if anyone has sent me an email
with no subject and you do not receive a reply, please re-send it.
First, thank all of you that have been so generous to share your work and documentation
with me. I really appreciate it. As time allows, I will read all material shared with
me.
Next for all of those who have asked my assistance, again as time allows, I will search my
database for any material I have on the subject that you are requesting assistance with. I
will reply to you personally whether I do or do not have any thing that may or may not
help you. Please note I do keep files on persons requesting material or information that
I do not have at the time they asked for assistance. I go through the files periodically
as I gather new information or add to my database. If I have uncovered information, I do
contact the individual privately.
Please be patient with me, I am in the middle of a project that I have already made a
commitment to helping another researcher (different line). After I have completed that, I
have several other lengthy projects that I have also made commitments to.
Next for all of the emails that have expressed a desire to remain anonymous, I will not
divulge what you have said to me confidentially nor will I release your name, if given, or
email address. So please do not worry.
For the questions regarding what type of software program I used to edit the scanned
pages. I have several different photography software programs. I use them all for
various projects. My personal favorite is PhotoElf, which I did use to edit the scanned
pages. This program is very user friendly. The programmer, Rick is wonderful with
personal support if you are having difficulty and can not find a solution within the help
portion of the software. I am posting a link to his website that gives a free trial
version.
http://www.photoelf.com/download/download.shtml
I have received numerous emails regarding the origin of the surname "Chandler".
Thank you all for sharing your personal opinions and work on the matter. I hope you will
share it with other members of the board/list as well. I myself have done some research in
that area, not quite as extensive as some research that has been shared with me. Thank you
again for sharing.
Regarding the emails in my usage of “b. abt.”. First my software will not let me use the
term "approximately". So to clarify my usage of “abt.”, I use “abt.” to signify
an exact date is not known to me at this time, that the event occurred approximately in
the year I posted, giving me an approximate date to do further research. If I do have what
I believe to be a reliable source for the year of birth, but the month and day are not
known, I just put the year of birth not using “abt”, which is meant that I know the year,
but not the month and date. It is my personal opinion that I was very clear, that my
research is not complete, that I am still in the process of gathering data, etc. and it
will be years before the work is completed. Therefore, I am not going to discuss that
issue further.
Again if I share something with you, please do your own researches, document, and verify
the material.
Due to the number of emails that I am receiving regarding the portion I quoted and the
origin of the Chandler name, I decided rather than to reply to each individually, I would
post a message that will hopefully cover all the emails.
I just quoted a portion of the booklet. The booklet is very short, only 17 pages. In a
17-page booklet there is not room to explain in detail the information you are
giving/using. This booklet does not have any source information, in some instances it does
not even tell the state of the city being referred to. (In my opinion, its purpose was for
family members at the reunion, they may have had some special event occurring where the
author was kind enough to give them a brief, undocumented accounting of their immediate
family history just referencing a brief history of the Chandler name in the introduction.
I will let other interested researchers draw their own conclusions after reading the
booklet.) It is only an informal publication that was written and printed just for a
family reunion, which is printed on the cover of the booklet. The author started his brief
sketch (the definition of the word “sketch” should be an indication that it is a general
outline !
without full details) with that introduction, from there going into his brief accounting,
of the previously referenced in message posts, George Chandler and descendants. Leading me
to believe the author has done some research on the Chandler line. That hopefully, if he
is not deceased, (based on the fact the booklet was printed in 1968) he will share,
including possible documentation and sources for his research. I am sharing the booklet
with others that maybe it can be used as a guide or clue to help them in their work.
I have tried to emphasize in my previous messages to document and verify everything,
including anything that I share with anyone whether it is by message board/list or private
email.
I am also sharing it because I don't want to deny others possibly interested the
opportunity of reading the booklet and to let them know of its existence. I have never
seen it referred to previously, it does not mean that it has been referenced to, just that
I haven't seen it.
I try never to judge other people's work (you never know when someone is judging your
own). I do not know what information they had available to them at the time of their work
other than listed source information and yes, new information may be uncovered disproving
the information they had available to them at the time. Authors of some publications are
now deceased, they can not be expected to go back and make corrections when the material
disproving their work was not uncovered until after their death. Other authors who have
published material and new information has come to light disproving their work, may
perhaps feel that it is not necessary to make corrections to the work, that researchers
will make their own corrections in what ever the researcher is working on.
I do my own research disproving or proving the information based on the information I have
available to me at the time. I feel no need to make the author aware of my conclusions;
after all it is only my conclusion-someone else may form another conclusion. If I am
working with others on a particular project, we do discuss amongst ourselves opinions,
theories, hypotheses, etc. I personally feel that people on the board/list are fairly
intelligent people, capable of determining the credibility of material without me making a
commentary about the validity of the work. Even beginner "amateur" genealogists
with no experience, as they gain experience through assistance of other researchers,
professional or amateur, plus their own research, will learn how to discern the
credibility of material. I also try not to publicly discredit the work of others that
possibly might cause another researcher to discard the material as invalid. There may be
valid, documented information, along with!
the erroneous material and a researcher will have missed an opportunity to perhaps
breakdown a "brick wall", or at least make it start crumbling. I also do not
want to personally insult the intelligence of other researchers by making commentaries
telling them what I have interpreted the material as, which might appear that I am stating
that it is fact, which it is not, it is only my personal discernment.
I would rather let the individual researcher draw his/her own conclusion.
I feel that I have been forced into a very awkward situation causing me to give more
explanations than I normally would have to make. I have asked the board administrator for
assistance. Whatever the administrator’s decision on this situation is, I will abide by.
I am by no means a professional genealogist; I do not charge people for any assistance
that I might be able to give, or I am qualified to use that term.
If I should happen to have some information that might possibly help someone else, I am
more than happy to share. It is not a big secret that I need to keep hidden away for self
glorification, knowing that I have information someone else doesn't or an "ace up
the sleeve" to bargain with. If I share with others, I expect nothing in return for
myself. But I do expect respect and courtesy to the author/s of the material that I am
sharing, to please comply to rules regarding copyrighted material, and if the material is
used, to list the author/s and his/her material as the source, not me. It is also my
discretion as to what material I share and what source information I divulge and with whom
I share it with. I probably have a valid reason why I am not disclosing the information or
where I obtained it from and do not feel that it is necessary to explain my decision.
I also personally feel that we should be considerate of the feelings of other researchers
posting their messages/queries to boards/lists and not publicly humiliate them or try to
intimidate them. Such negative comments could possibly discourage the person from sharing
further information with the board/list. Quite possibly even cause the person to
discontinue their work. I feel that this would be a tremendous loss, all family heritage
and memories should be preserved. I also feel that you should never "slam a door
shut" you never know when you might need assistance or a copy of some documentation.
I also feel we should respond more respectfully and try to help each other more, without
putting unneccesary stipulations on our assistance. Please remember what it was like when
you first started your research, errors made, and above all remember the ones whom where
kind enough to try to help you.
It is my sincere hope that this board will continue to be used as it is intended,
discussing and sharing information freely in a polite, respectable manner.
If I feel that I have been in error, I will be the first to apologize.
Please remember that I am human. I make mistakes. Document and verify everything I share
with you, prove or disprove it by your own research.
I do hope this again; very lengthy post covers most of the emails I am receiving on these
subjects. If I have missed something I am sure someone will draw my attention to it.
Here is to hoping all your brick walls crumble and we all continue sharing and helping
others.
Barbara Chandler