Ancestral Sources Main Screen: Baptism Records
The help for this page is split into the following sections:
File Menu
Open FH Project: This menu item will only appear if Ancestral Sources detects that Family Historian 4 or 5 (or later) is installed on the computer. Family Historian 4 was the first version to include 'projects'. If your family history file is part of a project then this option should be used. The file will be opened, individuals displayed and the record details can then be typed in. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar.
Open Gedcom File: Select the GEDCOM family history file to be edited. The file will be opened, individuals displayed and the record details can then be typed in. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar if your PC does not have Family Historian 4 or 5 (or later) installed.
Current Project/File is default: If this item is ticked then the current file or project will be opened automatically whenever Ancestral Sources starts. If you no longer want the current file to be opened each time then un-tick this option.
After Save: There are options to have Ancestral Sources automatically close after the successful save of an entry or alternatively to minimise. Some users prefer to always view an entry in Family Historian following a successful save and this makes that process easier.
Save entry to File: Once all of the various text boxes have been filled in, the individuals have been added to the grid, images linked (if applicable), source text filled in (if applicable), etc. then choose this menu item to add the entry to the file. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar.
Recent Files/Projects: Shows the most recently accessed files and/or projects. Click on one of these to open.
Exit: Choose this to finish using Ancestral Sources.
Edit Menu
Cut: Cuts the currently selected text. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar. Ctrl+X can also be used as a shortcut
Copy: Copies the currently selected text. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar. Ctrl+C can also be used as a shortcut
Paste: Pastes text previously cut or copied into the clipboard into the current text box at the insertion point. Also available as a shortcut on the tool bar. Ctrl+V can also be used as a shortcut
Delete: Deletes the currently selected text. The delete key can be used as a shortcut
New unrelated individual: Creates a new individual unrelated to anyone in the GEDCOM family history file using the Add New Individuall screen. If this individual is related to someone in your file then instead they should be added as either a parent, spouse, sibling or child of the individual in question. See the section Selecting Individuals below. This is also available as a shortcut on the tool bar.
Review/remove individual data changes: New individuals added or renamed can be viewed and if necessary deleted. See the help page for this.
Add current individual to the entry: The currently selected individual is added to the record. This item is also available via the Select button in the Individuals panel. See the section on Selecting Individuals below.
Add New Parent/Spouse/Sibling/Child: If an individual has been selected these can be used to add a new relation to them. These options are also available using the links in the Individuals panel. There are keyboard shortcuts available: Ctrl+Shift+P to add a new parent, Ctrl+Shift+S to add a new spouse, Ctrl+Shift+B to add a new sibling, Ctrl+Shift+C to add a new child.
Auto Text: This causes the source text box to be filled with a text representation of the data entered. This is also available by using the Auto button next to the source text button. See the section on Source Text and Notes below.
Add/View Images: This opens up the Image Viewer screen to enable images to be linked to the record or viewed. This can also be achieved by clicking on the Add/View Images link in the Linked Images panel. See the section on Baptism Information below.
Edit Templated Source: This option will only be shown if the option to used Templated Sources is selected. This menu item performs the same task as clicking the Edit Templated Source... link described in the Source section below.
Link a Repository: This option will only be shown if Templated Sources are not being used and the option to use repositories is selected. This menu item performs the same task as clicking the Link a repository link described in rhe Source section below.
Edit Source Text: This menu item carries out the same task as selecting the Text link described in the Source Text and Notes section below.
Edit Source Note: This menu item carries out the same task as selecting the Note link described in the Source Text and Notes section below.
Clear/Reset Current Entry: This will clear all text boxes, images selected, etc. so that you can begin to enter again.
View Menu
This menu allows the user to choose the type of entry they wish to enter. These options are also available on the tool bar. In the current version of Ancestral Sources census, birth, baptism, marriage, death, burial/cremation and monumental Inscription sources are supported as well as the ability to add images to existing sources.
Show Parent Birth Fields: If this option is selected then additional fields will be displayed on the Residence panel to allow for entry of the place of birth, date of birth and/or age of the parents of the baptised individual. As these fields are not commonly included on baptism records this option can be used to show or hide them as required.
Tools Menu
Autotext Template Editor: This opens the Autotext Templates screen which can be used to create templates for use with the source-text Auto button. See the section on Source Text and Notes below.
Source Templates: This opens the Source Template Editor. Family Historian 7 introduced the concept of Source Templates which add additional fields to sources to allow more structured citation information to be recorded. You can use this feature if you have Family Historian 7 or later and use recording method 1.
Flag Assignment: This opens the Flag Assignment screen to allow you to specify that Family Historian flags be added to individuals when an entry is made.
Flag Batch Add: This opens the Flag Batch Add screen that enables you to retrospectively apply flags to individuals based on the existing event/source types previously applied.
Address Merge: This opens the Address Merge screen. This allows addresses that have been recorded inconsistently for a place, to be merged into one. Note that this option will cancel any existing entry that is partially complete.
Customise: This opens the Customise screen which allows the user to choose an existing colour scheme or their own scheme for Ancestral Sources. It is also possible to change the font and font size used throughout. Sometimes changing the font size doesn't satisfactorily resize the various text boxes and panels on the screen. This is usually solved by closing and re-opening Ancestral Sources. Be aware that larger font sizes will require forms to be resized to a larger size and it is possible that users with smaller screen resolutions and/or with larger DPI settings will not be able to see all of the information on the screen. In this situation it is recommended that you use the smallest font size (8).This screen also allows you to specify the size of the toolbars used on the main screen and when editing richtext.
Edit Lists: This will display the Edit Lists screen which allows you to customise some of the drop-down lists of items shown for different source types, including the standard list of occupations.
Project Specific Settings: This menu item will only be visible if the project that is open has been used by Ancestral Sources on other computers. See the Project Settings help page for details.
View Log Files: This opens the Log File Viewer screen. Each change made to the GEDCOM family history file when entries are saved is logged and these can viewed on this screen.
Options: This opens the Options screen which allows various settings to be changed.
Backup A.S. Options: Use this option to backup your Ancestral Sources settings to a compressed zip file. This zip file will contain the 4 XML settings files used by Ancestral Sources (in the Settings folder specified in the Options screen. It will also include a backup of the registry settings which are machine specific - these will only be able to be restored to the same computer. By default this backup will be saved to the Backup folder specified in the Options screen. If your PC ever needs to have Windows reinstalled or you wish to transfer your settings to another PC then backup your setting to a file. Once Ancestral Sources is installed on your new PC (or newly installed operating system) you can then choose 'Restore A.S. Options' and select all the settings files.
Restore A.S. Options: See Backup A.S. Options above for details.
Help Menu
This menu has links to this help file. In addition it has the following menu items:
Ancestral Sources Forum: This will open up the Ancestral Sources forum at the Family Historian User Group website.
Email Support: This will open up an email window to contact the author of Ancestral Sources
Show Welcome Screen: The welcome screen is displayed every time Ancestral Sources opens unless the user has unticked the option to show the screen on startup. This menu item causes the welcome screen to be shown.
Check for updates: This will connect to the Ancestral Sources website to see whether a new version of Ancestral Sources is now available.
Make a donation: Ancestral Sources is free to use but many users opt to make a donation to the author to encourage him to keep developing the software. Choose this option to make a donation.
About Ancestral Sources: Shows the version number and some acknowledgements.
On the right hand side of the main screen is a panel to allow individuals to be selected and added to the entry. Once the GEDCOM family history file has been opened all of the people in the file are displayed in the list at the top of the panel, in alphabetical order. Depending on the Options chosen after each name the date of birth and/or ID will be shown. You can either scroll through the list to find an individual or type their name or ID into the text boxes at the top.
The individual highlighted in the list will be displayed in the panel below. This includes a list of 'vital records' already entered for this individual if there are any: e.g. baptisms, marriages and burials.
If the Main Info tab is currently displayed then you can choose to either select the baptised individual, their father or their mother by selecting the individual and then clicking on the <<Select button. If, for example, you select the baptised individual and their parents are already recorded in the file then the father and mother will also automatically be selected. Unless the Option for same-sex relationships is selected it will always be assumed that a selected male is the baptised individual or their father and a female is the baptised individual or their mother.
If the Further Info tab is active then the individual you select will be added as an associated individual as described below.
Although not particularly useful for source types other than census, if keep focus is ticked for a particular individual, they will automatically be re-selected after any individual is added to the entry.
Once an individual is selected the four lists below will have people added if applicable to show their known parents, spouses, siblings and children. By clicking on individuals in these lists it is possible to navigate through the relatives of the individual.
If you need to select an individual who does not exist in the file then you can add them as a parent, spouse, sibling or child of the individual currently displayed by using one of the options Add Parent, Add Spouse, Add Sibling, Add Child. Alternatively an entirely new individual with no known link to anyone in the file can be added using the New unrelated individual toolbar or Edit menu item. Whichever of these options is chosen will cause the Add New Individual screen to appear.
There is also a link Change name which brings up a window to allow you to enter a new name for the individual. A citation will be created for this when the source is saved assuming the 'name citation' option is ticked in the Option screen. Alternatively you can change the name of a selected individual/father/mother by simply editing their names in the main info tab.
If the selected individual has children recorded then the Tree button will be enabled. This can be used to display a descendant tree for the individual. This Tree View can be used as an alternative method to select individuals.
Source
If recording method 1 is being used (See Options) then Ancestral Sources will automatically create a new source when the record is saved with the source id displayed and the title shown in the Title text box. The title is based on the method 1 title template specified in the Options screen. Alternatively a title can be entered manually by the user.
If you are using recording method 1 with a file created in Family Historian version 7 (or later) and have opted to use Source Templates then you will see a link button to open up the source template screen. It is best to use the source template screen after filling in the other relevant data on the screen (dates, place, address, etc.) as some of the source template fields may be automatically populated with that data.
If recording method 2 is being used then an existing source can be chosen from the drop down list and this is the source that the facts created will be linked to via citations when the entry is saved. Alternatively a new source can be created by selecting New Source... from the source list. This would only be used where a suitable source does not exist. The source created would have the Source ID specified and the title shown in the Title text box. The title is based on the method 2 title template specified in the Options screen. Alternatively a title can be entered manually by the user.
If the Source Short Title option has been selected then the Title label will instead show as a link entitled Long Title. Clicking this link will allow you to toggle between the long title and the short title for this source. The short title will also be based on the template specified or you can edit the short title manually.
If a new source is being entered or if the source selected does not have a repository recorded, then the user can optionally choose to Link a Repository. A repository can be used to record where this particular source was found, e.g. a website, library or record office. Clicking on Link a Repository will bring up the Repository screen where a new or existing repository can be selected.
Linked Images
To link multimedia images of the baptism to the entry click on Add/View Images and the Image Viewer screen will appear. Any number of images can be linked though it is unusual for a baptism entry to be spread over more than 1 image. As each is linked a thumbnail of the image will appear in the Linked Images panel.
Tabs
There are 3 tabs available to select panels in which to enter information.
Place and Address (Main Info Tab)
The place where the baptism took place can be entered in the place text box. As you enter the title Ancestral Sources will try to predict the place being entered by looking for the most frequently occurring place in the GEDCOM family history file. The baptism place is the town or village, e.g. Warrington, Lancashire, England.
Once the place has been entered an address can be typed in, this would be the name of the church or other location where the baptism took place and road (if known) within the place specified. Alternatively an address that has already been recorded for the place can be selected from the address drop-down list. If the 'church' tickbox is ticked then this list will only show addresses that have been previously used for events typically taking place in church settings e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials.
In additional, all Place/Address controls have a button next to the Place text box that opens up the Place and Address Picker which allows the place to be searched with more flexibility.
Baptism Date (Main Info Tab)
The date of the baptism needs to be entered into this text box. This can be a partial date if necessary, i.e just month/year or just year.
Individual/Father/Mother (Main Info Tab)
The baptised individual and their parents can be specified by selecting individuals from the individual lists as explained in the Selecting Individuals section above. Alternatively entirely new people can be created simply by entering their names into the text boxes. For example the parents could be selected from the individuals list and then the name of a previously unrecorded child entered into the Individual text box. This new individual will be created when the file is saved. The tickbox for Father and Mother should be unticked as relevant if one or other are not mentioned in the baptism source document. For example, it is quite common for early baptisms to only record the father's name and by unticking the mother, the auto-text feature (used to generate a transcription of the source text) will not include the mother's details. Note that unticking a parent still implies that they are a parent of this individual, they are just not mentioned specifically in the entry. If a parent is unknown then the parent should not be selected - the ID should show <Not Set> and the name left blank: click Reset if this is not the case and you need these to be blank. If you click Reset then the relevant individual will be de-selected from the entry to allow you to choose a different individual. Any other details entered for them such as occupation and residence will also be cleared. If you click on the ID of the individual, father or mother they will be selected in the All Individuals list.
Occasionally a parent might be recorded in the baptism entry as being deceased. In this case tick the relevant deceased tick-box. For deceased parents there are options available to create a death fact for them and/or to not record the date of a given occupation.
Individual Age and Date of Birth (Main Info Tab)
Some baptism entries include age and/or date of birth. For age a number on its own is assumed to be an age in years but you can follow numbers with either y, m or d to represent years, months or days (e.g. 3y 2m 3d). Alternatively you can click on the Edit... link to display a dialogue to enter these values. The birth date can be a full date, or just a month and year or just a year. If age or date of birth are not specified in the baptism record then just leave them blank
Father's/Mother's Occupation (Main Info Tab)
The occupation of the father is often included in a baptism entry and less frequently the mother's occupation too. Enter these details if given. If occupations are already recorded for these individuals, Ancestral Sources may automatically fill in these fields. If the occupations do not match those given in the baptism record then edit or clear the text.
Individual's Birthplace and Individual's/Father's/Mother's Residence (Residence Tab)
If a residence place and (optionally) address are specified for the individual, father or mother then these will be recorded as residence facts for each of them in the file when the record is saved. A residence fact will not be created if the place and address are left blank. If you want the residence details to be recorded because they are implied by the baptism record but are not actually specifically mentioned, then enter the details but untick the box. If you use an autotext template to generate a transcript of the baptism record then the unticked fields will not be included.
These same comments also apply to the individual's birthplace which may be saved to a birth fact for the individual depending on the choice made on the Birth Events screen when the record is saved.
Note that when initially entering an individual residence or birthplace or parents' residence, the place and address entered will be synchronised so that the same data will appear in all four. This is because for baptism records it is likely that these places will be the same. If you subsequently edit a different place/address than the initial one then this synchronisation will end. From that point onwards you can control what goes into each of the boxes without any annoying incorrect synchronisation occuring.
If the Show Parent Birth Data menu option or corresponding toolbar button has been selected then additional fields will be available to enter in the birth date, age and place of birth of the parents if they are referred to in the baptism record.
Ref ID (Further Info Tab)
If the source document record is identified by a reference/citation number then it can be typed into this field. If you are using recording method 2, or you have the relevant option set for method 1, this information will be recorded in the Where in Source source citation field. There is a further option for recording method 1 to save this data in the source Publication Information field.
Subtype
This is a drop-down list that can be used to select the type of baptism record, for example parish register or bishop's transcipt. Whether you choose to use this is entirely your choice and this can be hidden all together via a baptism option. You don't have to choose an item from the list and can enter your own text. In addition the contents of the type list can be controlled via the Edit Lists screen. Note that if the {SOURCESUBTYPE} tag isn't included in the template for the source or image title or autotext template or source template, then there is no point entering data into this box as it won't be recorded anywhere.
Other Info
This is a box to enter information into as required by the user which will appear in either the source title and/or the image title. Note that if the {OTHER} tag isn't included in the template for the source or image title or autotext template, then there is no point entering data into this box as it won't be recorded anywhere.
Index
Baptism records often include an index number which may be a short number compared to the longer reference/citation details. The index field can be used to record this information. Note that if the {INDEX} tag isn't included in the template for the source or image title or autotext template or source template then there is no point entering data into this box as it won't be recorded anywhere. If you don't wish to use the Index field then this can be hidden via the Options screen.
Minister
The name of the person who officiated at the baptism ceremony can be entered here. Note that if the {MINISTER} tag isn't included in the autotext template that generates the transcription in the source text, then there is no point entering data into this box as it won't be recorded anywhere.
Associated Individuals
Ancestral Sources provides the facility to record other individuals associated with the baptism record. By default the choices of association type includes 'Godparents'. If necessary further association types can be created using the Associated Individual Types screen.
You may choose to select an individual from your file to be an associated individual, by selecting the Individual in file option, or choose to just enter the name of the associated individual by selecting Just a name - not in file. When you have selected an individual or entered their name just click on the Add button in the Associated Individuals panel and they will be added to the list of associated individuals above. You may then add further associated individuals. If need be you can click on one of the associated individuals in the list and make changes and then press the Update button or click on delete if necessary.
By default a godparent or other associated individual will be added as a Family Historian version 6 witness role, but you can change this behaviour using the Associated Individual Types screen. For example, you may choose to record the details in the baptism local note, or add a custom fact to the associated individual.
If baptism recording method 1 is being used then multi-line text boxes will be displayed to enter source text and source note entries. These will be saved to the source created. Usually the source text is used to transcribe the baptism entry and the source note is used to specify any other information about the baptism entry if required (e.g. that the writing is difficult to read). These text boxes can be resized as required. The Text and Note titles are underlined as they are links. If clicked on a larger window will appear to make it easier to record the information.
If baptism recording method 2 is used then only the source text box will be shown. Depending on the options chosen the text will either be saved into the citation text or to a shared note linked to each citation.
Family Historian 7 introduced support for rich text notes and sources for the first time. Depending upon the options selected these source and note text boxes may be shown in rich text or plain text modes. See the rich source text help page for more information.
The easiest way to transcribe a baptism record is to click on the Auto button. You will then be able to choose an appropriate template which will fill in the source text box with text including the contents of the various text entered into the fields described above. You may need to edit the source text to ensure an accurate transcription is made. It is also possible to use the Auto-text Templates screen to create your own templates or edit existing templates. When Auto has been clicked, a tickbox appears (also labelled Auto). Unless you untick this box or manually edit the source text, the source text will continue to be updated as you make changes to the fields on the screen.