BRASWELL INDEX

GENEALOGY INDEX (Modified PAF Henry Number)

Reference to a specific Braswell ancestor is complicated by the profusion of the names: Robert, Richard, William, Ann, Sarah, Susannah, etc.  If each Braswell had an identification number, such as the present social security number, genealogy would be greatly simplified. This goal can be accomplished by modifying the Henry numbering system and incorporating it in a computerized database.

The Henry numbering system is a way of numbering descendants of a person. It is named after Reginald Buchanan Henry, who used the system in his book "Genealogies of the Families of the Presidents" in 1935.

The starting person is given the number 1. His first child is numbered 11, his second child is 12, his third child is 13, etc. The children of 12 are 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, etc. Each person's number starts with his parent's number and adds a digit to represent his position in the family. Thus if a person has the number 142835, he is in the sixth generation (there are six digits), and he is the fifth child of the third child of the eighth child of the second child of the fourth child of the starting person.

What if there are more than 9 children in a family? One way to handle this is to put the number in parentheses: for example, 142(10)35. An alternative way uses the letters A to Z, where A is 10, B is 11, C is 12, etc. The method used depends upon the software program.

The Henry system is the simplest way to trace generations back and forth when perusing a manuscript, for the Henry number of any person's ancestors or descendants is known. Furthermore, lines can be extended without renumbering when new information is found. Indexing a manuscript is a simple matter - page numbers are not required, as Henry numbers are sufficient to locate any person.

The Henry system groups all the individuals in one generation together, whereas a descendants chart traces each individual's line out to the latest generation and then backs up a generation, repeating the process until it finally returns to the first generation. Thus the children of the progenitor will be widely separated in the chart. Each method gives a different way of visualizing the data, which is always helpful.

Detailed information on ancestors can be kept on other genealogical records. Family Tree Maker has a field for "Reference number." This field can contain any numbers or letters that you choose. You might use this number as part of your own filing system by inserting the Henry Index number.

RECORD. In a database, each row is a record and represents a Braswell or a spouse.

FIELD. Fields are the columns. They are: INDEX - S/B - FIRST NAME - SURNAME - BORN - LOCATION - DIED - PLACE - REMARKS.

Record Number. This number is not used for permanent identification of an individual as it changes when individuals are added, deleted or records are sorted. If it is used, it must be identified with the Header and Footer (date of publication) of the file.

Index Number. See explanation above.

S/B. Braswells are denoted by a "B." An "S" is entered for the spouse, either male or female.  Unconfirmed spouses or relationships are indicated by S?.

Born/Died. Dates include the usual notation denoting the accuracy of the date. The following notations are used after the date: a - after, b - before, c - circa (about). The day and month are not show so as to shorten the width of the record.

?. A question mark means that the entry is unknown. A name with a question mark (?) means that the entry is questionably.

Female Braswells will not be carried to the next generation in the primary index as their children are then no longer Braswells by surname. Instead, the first generation of female Braswells will be kept in a separate index for the collateral researcher.

It is possible for a person to have several Henry numbers. This occurs when cousins (or other relatives) marry, and their descendants have more than one way to trace their ancestry back to the common ancestor.

When the database is prepared, the children will be initially sorted in the same order as Family Tree Maker. It is preferred that the children be numbered in chronological birth order. This is not always possible because of unknown birthdays or undiscovered children. Newly discovered children will be placed at the end. It is impractical to resort the database very frequently. FTM sorts children as follows:

The oldest child appears at the top of the list, and the youngest child appears at the bottom. Twins or triplets stay in the order in which you enter them. If a field is blank, that child will sort at the top of the list. If a date field has a question mark (?), that child will sort at the bottom of the list. If you don't know the exact birth date of a child, but know that the child was born before or after another child, use a "Before" or "After" data prefix so that child sorts in the correct order.

Multiple families with a common ancestor are preceded by three alphabetical numbers beginning with AAA. The next unconnected family would be AAB. When AAZ is reached, the next family would be ABA. With this system, 17,576 unconnected families (or a single individual) could be entered. The numbers after the letters begin with one (1) being the oldest ancestor of the group. If the family becomes connected, the letters are replaced by the appropriate numbers.

The databases will be prepared from information submitted and agreed to by the Braswell Cousins. Any comments or suggestions about the information contained in the database should be in open discussion on the Braswell Roots Web sites.

The important thing to remember is that the Index is just a detective tool. Our prime records will be kept in other formats. Initially, the Index will concentrate on bridging the gap between the 2nd generation (Rev. Robert Bracewell's children) and the 1850 census in which each individual was named. One area that has to be worked out is the spelling of the surname. The first and second generation is Bracewell and after that, the spelling variants begin. The Index doesn't distinguish between a Braswell, Brazwell, Brazel or Brasuell, etc.

Eventually it would be desirable to identify ancestors by Index Number that are contained in - census, military rosters, marriage records, wills, etc.

We cannot expect the Index to be errorless. That’s the way genealogy is. Each entry must be supported by documentation an/or reasonable deductions. As we are learning through DNA testing, all of us are not related to the Rev. Robert Bracewell.