Check out the mailing list archives. There have been many discussions on
this topic. In addition, Geoff has reported several filing systems
(including my own) in Legacy News. Best thing to remember - what is good
for one person may not be good for the next. I started with one system and
changed when I found that it really didn't work with my thought process.
Mary
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Connie
Sheets
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:05 PM
To: LegacyUserGroup@legacyfamilytree.com
Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Filing Systems (was entering first-person)
--- Gen Searcher [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hello Connie
I picked up that you file alphabetically, how would you
file a married couple
I can see that all unmarried people could be done by
alphabet but I just wondered do you file the husband and
wife separately
Regards
John
John,
My paper filing system is primarily by surname and locality. When I'm
starting on a surname, my binder is just for that surname. But, when I've
accumulated a lot of documents, I add sections for locality. For example, I
may have sections in my SHEETS binder for Bedford Co., PA, Holmes Co., OH,
and Keokuk Co., IA. And when that binder gets too large, I make a SHEETS
Bedford Co., PA binder, a SHEETS Holmes Co., OH binder, etc.
Then within those localities, I file by type of record type, e.g. I have
sections for deeds, court records, marriage records etc. This system has
the added benefit of telling me quickly where the holes in my research
are. (If the deeds section in Bedford Co. PA is empty or nearly empty...)
I know where to look for a specific record for a particular individual or
couple from the Family Group Sheets which I keep in alphabetical order in a
section at the beginning of the binder. (Or by firing up Legacy and looking
at the database).
Sometimes, if I'm working on the other surname of a couple, I'll make
duplicates to keep in the other surname binder, or I cross reference them
(e.g. my WINSLOW binder may say refer to SHEETS binder for the Samuel
Sheets/Phebe Winslow marriage).
Then there are those who are doing away with most paper files by scanning
their documents and attaching them to the individuals/couple in
Legacy...(I'm doing more of that, but I doubt I'll ever give up my binders;
they just make it easier for me to see the patterns/relationships and
analyze the information I've gathered).
I have experimented with files (not binders) for each couple: this works
best (for me) for collateral families, not my direct lines. For example, I
might have a file for Mary Ann Sheets m. Adam Harbolt and their descendants.
(She is an ancestor's sister). That I would file under Harbolt, with my
Sheets binder (or Legacy) telling me she married a Harbolt.
There are as many ways to organize your paper files as there are ways to use
Legacy: figure out what meets your needs, works best for you, will grow
easily, and matches the way you think.
Hope this gives you some ideas...
Connie
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