The 'new' Surname Database
Saturday, October 27, 2007 (16:06:03)
Posted by Carole
“Gente di Mare” Genealogy (gentedimaregenealogy.com) today moved into a new phase with the addition of a new version of our Surname Database. This can be instantly accessed from the Surname Database logo found at the foot of all of our pages.
This version allows you to reference check surnames against towns and provinces that are being researched by others. Sources of this kind can often save many hours of tedious searching of manifests, archives, immigration records etc. Often researching is not complete on these surnames, and such ongoing searches can be posted on our forum where help and guidance will be willingly offered to anyone by other members.
We aim to help our members (membership is free) to undertake research themselves by offering guidance on where and how to find what they are looking for. Though at times the path does become very difficult and that is the point where many members – both experienced researchers (like Nuccia) and others who are still very new to the game (like me) - are willing to offer a helping hand. So don’t forget to get your own ‘names’ posted on the database – who knows, there may be others who know of your family!
For us the ideal situation would be that “Gente di Mare” becomes a place where becoming a member is not just a case of finding answers to personal questions, never to be seen again, but hanging out with us and helping others who arrive and find themselves overwhelmed by the task they have undertaken. I fear that many fall at the first hurdle when that becomes a reality. Learn, find, absorb the knowledge and then use it to guide others along the same path you have taken to discover your family history.
This new phase will not be the last. We have several ideas that we are mulling over and looking at how they could be best achieved. But they do take time – and so best be on the look-out for news, and requests for help, on these as and when they are being built.
So all that remains to say is…
Carole