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Author: DebraOverbey
Surnames: Chronister
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chronister/401.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Peggy, Whereas, I agree with you about the danger of using incomplete and inaccurate online sources, I have to ask you to move this discussion to a different thread.
I don't want to hijack the discussion of Perdine/Paradine Chronister from the original poster.
Debra
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Re: Following message: Help us out. Where were these people born?
Debra
Saturday, September 05, 2009 10:39 PM
To: CHRONISTER(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRONISTER] Henry Chronister
I am looking for any information on Henry Chronister born in 1844 and his
son Charles Chronister born in 1879 or 1880? I can't seem to link them to
anyone.
I am looking for any information on Henry Chronister born in 1844 and his son Charles Chronister born in 1879 or 1880? I can't seem to link them to anyone.
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: 1PeggyReeves
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chronister/401.1.1.1.1.1.1.2/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Debra,
Thanks for pointing that out, you are right, I called your book of marriages and the ancestry databases "transcriptions" and that is not entirely accurate in either case. The point I was making was that when you don't look at the original record, you are counting on someone else to be perfect when they "transcribe" (meaning write down) what they see, whether they do a complete "transcription" (copying everything on the record verbatim) or only an "abstract" (copying down selected facts from the original record).
The point that I would like to make is that an awful lot of what you see in print and online is not reality, including the subscription service databases.
For example...
Ancestry.com has a database entitled: "York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-53; Trinity Reformed Church" In this database, you will find an Adam Chronister, father; an Elizabeth Chronister, mother; and a child named Rebecca Ann Chronister being baptized. There is no date for any of these people.
When you click on the link to get information about the source for this database, here is what you get: "Lineages, Inc., comp., York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-53; Trinity Reformed Church [database online], Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Original Data: Transcribed from LDS Family History Library microfilm copies of church records for this locality. For more information, see the Family History Library Catalog".
So what does all of THAT mean?! It's nothing but a legal progression of money-making entities who bought rights from each other, who don't necessarily know where their information came from. Thus, ancestry's "source" has little to do with the actual original source of the records.
As directed by ancestry, I checked the Family History online library catalog by putting in: "York, Pennsylvania" and clicking on: "church records". Many church records were listed for York, but this one was not. Gee, thanks!
Fortunately, I checked the collection of various state records on microfilm at the DAR Library here in D.C. I found "Church Records of the First (Trinity) Reformed Church at York, PA, 1744-1853, copied by William J. Hinke, 1942". That title, in itself, gives you more information than what the ancestry database revealed. First of all, it tells you that ancestry's database is apparently not complete if theirs begins from 1801. It also tells you that this is going to be a transcription or abstract, not microfilm of original records. It also gives you the author, which the "source" at ancestry leaves out entirely.
On the microfilm at the DAR Library were typewritten pages, apparently done by Hinke. Mr. Hinke probably did a complete transcription, not just an abstract, because he gave the sponsors' names and other information found in the church books, and even gave the page numbers from the original church book.
On page 209 of Hinke's work, which he says is page 202 of the original church book, is: "Adam Chronister and Elizabeth, parents of Rebecca Ann, baptized Hampton, Adams County. Sponsor: Margaret Schaefer". This particular record is not dated, but since the church book was apparently transcribed verbatim, and baptisms were listed chronologically, it was easy to date it. The record listed before the Chronister baptism was a baptism dated 16 January 1835, and the record after it was a baptism dated 21 January 1835. Therefore, the Chronister baptism took place sometime between those two dates.
It is interesting to note that the ancestry database called it a York County record, when Hampton is actually in Adams County. This church was originally formed in Lancaster County, in the area that later became York County in 1748, in the part which later became Adams County in 1800. Thus, none of this database at ancestry has anything to do with York County, because from 1801 forward, when ancestry's database begins, this church was in Adams County!
The next logical step is to see which library or historical society or other record repository holds the original church books, and find out if the actual pages have been microfilmed or digitized. Hinke could have made errors just like me and you and everyone else. Also, there are other early baptisms in this same church with the last names "Kronicker" and "Klopinger". Could these also be Chronisters? Maybe the handwriting was poor. It would be good to look at it ourselves.
As for what I posted previously about what we know about Matthias Chronister of PA/NC...a lot of that changed when I consulted the original records that the published sources referred to. A lot of mistakes were made in those published abstracts/transcriptions. A lot more original sources need to be looked at.
When I put my ongoing research notes and compilation of facts and sources of information online, and it gets immediately copied into various online pedigrees without a source (which it did), where I do not have access to correct it later as new information is found, then I am unwittingly participating in the spread of bad information, and that is NOT what I want to do.
It should be remembered that message board postings are the property of the person who posted it, and cannot be published verbatim without permission from the author.
Peggy Reeves
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