home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Monster Media 1994 #1
/
monster.zip
/
monster
/
GENE
/
OCFA2_AB.ZIP
/
README.DOC
< prev
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-03-28
|
11KB
|
272 lines
┌┬─────┐
││ │ ┌─┐ ┬ ┌─┬─┐ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ ┬ ┌──┐
││ │ │ │ │ │ ├──┤ ├─┬┘ │ │ │
└┴─────┘ ┴ └─┘ ┴ ┴ ┴ ┴ ┴─ ┴ └──┘
┌┬─────┐
││ ┌──┐ ┌─┬─┐ ┌──┐ ┌─┬─┐ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ ┬ ┬
││ ├─ │ │ │ ├─ │ ├─ ├─┬┘ └──┤
└┴─────┘ └──┘ ┴ ┴ ┴ └──┘ ┴ └──┘ ┴ ┴─ └──┘
┬┬─────┐
│├── ┬ ┌─┐ ┬ ┬──┐ ┬ ┌─┐ ┬ ┌──
││ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌┐
┴┴ ┴ ┴ └─┘ ┴──┘ ┴ ┴ └─┘ └──┘
┌┬─────┐
│├─────┤ ┬ ┬──┐
││ │ │ │ │
┴┴ ┴ ┴ ┴──┘
Release 2
Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid (OCFA) Created and Compiled by
Anna Joan Buxton, Barry Taylor, and Ron Demaray.
Read Me First!
--------------
This file contains important information regarding the use
of this cemetery database. You are well advised to read onward
before attempting to unzip the data files themselves.
Copyright
---------
Copyright (C), 1994, Anna Buxton, Barry Taylor, Ron Demaray.
Free, non-commercial distribution of OCFA is welcomed and
encouraged. Permission to copy all or part of this work is
granted, provided that the copies are not made or distributed
for resale (except a nominal copying fee only to cover expenses
may be charged), and provided that the readme.doc, including
the author-contact information, and this copyright notice, are
retained verbatim and are displayed conspicuously. Any other
use of OCFA, without prior written consent of the authors, is
STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. If anyone needs other permissions that are
not covered by the above, please contact the authors.
- 2 -
Purpose
-------
This database is intended as a "pointer" database. It
consists of the surnames, cemetery name and location of 100,000
interments in the southern Ontario region. The information it
contains has been compiled by the authors mentioned above, and
numerous other helpers who feel that genealogical information
should, and must be freely shared by all.
The file does not contain transcriptions or dates, but it
does tell the reader which county, township and cemetery contains
a given surname.
File Names
----------
The following list comprises the entire OCFA set. The .txt
files contain the character separated ASCII data, where the
letter(s) in the filename indicates the surnames contained in the
file . . .
Archive Includes Archive Includes
------------ ----------- ------------ -----------
OCFA2-AB.ZIP OCFA2-A.TXT OCFA2-LM.ZIP OCFA2-L.TXT
OCFA2-B.TXT OCFA2-M.TXT
OCFA2-CD.ZIP OCFA2-C.TXT OCFA2-NR.ZIP OCFA2-N.TXT
OCFA2-D.TXT OCFA2-O.TXT
OCFA2-PQ.TXT
OCFA2-EG.ZIP OCFA2-E.TXT OCFA2-R.TXT
OCFA2-F.TXT
OCFA2-G.TXT OCFA2-ST.ZIP OCFA2-S.TXT
OCFA2-T.TXT
OCFA2-HK.ZIP OCFA2-H.TXT
OCFA2-I.TXT OCFA2-UZ.ZIP OCFA2-UV.TXT
OCFA2-J.TXT OCFA2-W.TXT
OCFA2-K.TXT OCFA2-XY.TXT
OCFA2-Z.TXT
Each archive also contains . . .
README.DOC The file you are reading.
CEMLIST.TXT A mini datafile of the cemeteries recorded
to date, their names, locations and reference
sources.
FILE_ID.DIZ File description.
- 3 -
Reading the Files
-----------------
The character separated ASCII format can be read with an
ASCII viewer such as Vern Buergs popular LIST program, or by
using the DOS 'Type' command (type filename.ext |more), but
greater viewing flexibility can be gained by importing these
files into a Data Base program.
Field Sizes
-----------
The following field sizes will allow you to safely import
the data into a database program without losing any of the field
contents:
Surname: 30
Given: 40
Cemetery: 50
County: 20
Township: 20
Reference: 10
Soundex: 5
The small CEMLIST file has a different structure:
Cemetery: 30
County: 18
Township: 15
Con: 5
Lot: 5
Pub: 15
Vol: 5
Year: 5
- 5 -
Reference Number
----------------
The field for reference number in the main database will be
of little use or importance to the average user of this database.
These numbers refer either to the Ontario Genealogical Society
provincial catalog serial number for that particular cemetery or
to a designation assigned by the collector. The number becomes
useful to collectors when a cemetery changes names or is referred
to by more than one name. For example, a cemetery on the Smith
property and referred to as the 'Smith Cemetery' often becomes
the 'Jones Cemetery' if the property is sold to a new owner.
Soundex Field
-------------
One of the main features and benefits of this information
base is the convenience of Soundex searches. As most family
historians soon discover, surname spellings have to be taken with
a grain of salt and creative flexibility. Electronic database
searches on the Soundex code (rather than on a single spelling of
a surname) may yield some surprising matches which would otherwise
go undetected.
Other Notes
-----------
If a name (e.g. that of a parent or spouse) is mentioned on
a stone, that name is included as an entry in this database.
Even though that person mentioned may be buried elsewhere, the
name may be essential to making a family connection.
If the initials of both parents are mentioned on a stone,
the pair of initials are combined as one entry rather than as
separate entries.
- 6 -
Whither Next?
------------
As mentioned earlier, this information is intended only to
get you pointed in the right direction. This is offered as a
convenience to all of us 'mail order researchers' who are
thousands of miles from the 'old homestead' and its genealogical
treasures.
Your logical next steps include:
a. The acquisition of the actual cemetery transcriptions;
For information, write to . . .
Ontario Genealogical Society
40 Orchard View Blvd.,
Suite 251,
Toronto, ON. M4R 1B9
b. a search of census records for a particular township
(available on interlibrary loan or from the resources of
the LDS Family History Centres); and
c. the acquisition of township maps to pinpoint the cemetery
locations and (if you get lucky) the property location
itself (maps are available from the Ontario Ministry of
Transport and Communication, or from county atlases
available in most libraries).
Township Maps
-------------
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications
offers a superb series of monochrome maps in the scale of
1:100,000. (Two maps are normally required to cover an entire
county.) The value of these maps is that they show the township
boundaries and individual lot and concession numbers.
The Ministry's address is:
Map Office,
Ministry of Transportation and Communications,
1201 Wilson Avenue,
Downsview, Ontario, M3M 1J8.
The maps mentioned above are up-to-date, modern maps which
reflect current municipalities, boundaries, highways, etc. If
you do need to consult something older try for the reprinted
county atlases of 1878, available in most large libraries.
- 7 -
No Queries Please!
-----------------
While this collection is useful, and while the "collectors"
are pleased to share the surname index as a finding aid, the
authors are unable to offer an inquiry service for the detailed
cemetery transcriptions.
Can I Contribute?
----------------
Absolutely! The creators of OCFA are an active,
enthusiastic and independent group of Ontario researchers.
Anyone who wishes to maintain our goal of making information
freely available to all is encouraged to help us !
If you have transcribed a cemetery and are willing to share
your efforts please contact any one of the authors via :
Echo mail - We can be reached on just about any of the
genealogy echos, but the Fido GENEALOGY.CDN
(Canadian Genealogy) echo is preferred.
Net mail - 1:340/85
BBS - Metchosin Central BBS 1-604-478-7678
supporting speeds of 2400 to 28800 bps
Snail mail - Metchosin Central
Box 48058,
3575 Douglas St,
Victoria, BC, Canada, V8Z 7H5.
Updates
-------
As work progresses, we will be releasing updates of this
database periodically. Please let us know if you find this
collection useful. Enjoy !