Saturday, October 23, 2010

Typed Indexes, part two

Recent additions to the website of the Latter-Day Saints include an index to New Jersey marriages from 1678 through 1985.  The site is free, which is great in any field.  But:  use this resource with caution.  You still need to retrieve the original marriage record.

The marriage of Herman Lutter and Clara Uhl turns up in the index.

 Compare the index entry to the actual marriage return.

The year of the marriage differs.  The index has 1887; the actual return shows 1888.  The ages of the bride and groom are the same on both the index and the return; however, the index lists the years of birth for both parties.  The birth year is nowhere on the marriage return.  I don't know who decided that these were the correct years and added them to the typed index.  That is why you must exercise caution when relying upon such information, and always try to get as close to the original as possible.

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