Genealogy Chat

If I want to search for someone on census just using initials, where do I put them? Person has only one first name and surname. So is it one initial in each box or both initials in surname box? Thank you for help. Sylvia.

one in each box but with just initials it will be a hard slog Jeanette

You have no other info on this person???. Rod

Thanks Jeanette. I am hoping he is in an institution and I have birth year and only choice of two counties to trawl through so no more than a month or two-----hopefully!! Regards Sylvia.

I think you'll find, with initials, that you can put them all in one box. I don't know whether that brings up a different lot of hits! Christine

no that wont work just tried it it brings every one with the last intial as a middle name Jeanette

Then you're probably right.... except for the transcribers who werent very careful. There are a few who clearly didn't bother to check whether the names were listed surname or given-names first. Christine

You put the first name initial in the first name box and the surname initial in the surname box. nell

and when that doesn't work, you try them the other way round, as it's often impossible to tell which is the surname initial and which the forename initial when transcribing the census! Merry

Oh bless - the problem is, how are you going to decide that this is your man as the institutions just give the initials of patients/prisoners and little else. I do know your desperation, Ive done many an initials search but not got anywhere. Good luck!