Clarence mcDaniel Aug 2000 The following conventions, definitions and abbreviations are used in the files. Keep in mind that this work was done when memory was very dear. CONVENTIONS The Paschall surname spelling variants are numerous, those most often encountered are spelled: PASCHALL, PASCHAL and PASCALL. The files use the PASCHALL form as a standard in all general references. The U.S. Postal standard for state abbreviations are used. These are two capital letters with no period. The counties of each state are recorded by using the first four letters of the name where possible. Certain exceptions are made for counties with two words, these usually take the form of the first two letters of each word, for example: St Louis ..........StLo St Genevieve.......StGe Santa Cruz.........SaCr In some cases the first three letters of the first word is used: New Castle.........NewC New York...........NewY Dates use a three letter abbreviation for the month - only a few Quaker records are quoted which use a number for the month. Thus almost all dates are of the month-day-year form: Jun 3, 1787 Names followed by a secondary name in parentheses indicates sex, a twin or a nickname by which the person was known:(not used due to PAF) John(tw).......John had a twin brother or sister John(jack).....John was also known as Jack Robert(fem)....Robert was a female The question mark, ?, is used to indicate the following: After a persons name ...some doubt if name is correct After a county, Pont?/MS ...some doubt about either After an ID, K7 ? .....may not be correct place for line The record sources try to follow the form of time, place, what. A typical census record is listed as: 1880 Henr/TN 13th #348-wife/3ch/mother-in-law This is to be read as: The Federal Census of 1880 for Henry County, TN, Civil District #13, house #348. The person enumerated had living with him his wife, three children and mother-in-law. The fact that the record is a census can usually be ascertained from the even decade and the form. Other records try to give the year of the record, the civil jurisdiction that was in effect at the time the record was made, what kind of record it was, and usually some detail about the record. The author has received hundreds of copies of records from many searchers and the source data received with the copies varies from good to nothing. For books I have tried to at least provide the title, author's name and a date of publication. Data and records received from persons about their own lines is acknowledged by listing that persons name with the data. A very extensive and much quoted source is the Paschall Genealogical Committee; I copies of most of the material. The source line form varies with the amount of information given or known; all readers are urged to use the source data to obtain their own copies as much of the information is omitted. DEFINITIONS I have incorporated the following definitions for use in the files. Evidence - That material gathered to show the correctness of a presumption. This is by the nature of genealogy usually limited to written documents, there being no living witnesses. All such documents must be interpreted for meaning in respect to what was intended. Not all documents bear the same weight as evidence. Documents made at the time of the event by disinterested parties bear more weight than a book written by a member of the family fifty years after the fact. Presumption - a hypothesis or statement regarding something for which little or no evidence is known, i.e. faith in something. Proof - When sufficient evidence has been obtained which convinces the mind of the concerned person of the correctness of his presumption then we say that the fact is proved for that person. Obviously this is a different amount of evidence for each person, thus proof is a matter of individual decision. Since "proof" is a mental concept there is no such thing as "physical proof" or "absolute proof" these both being misnomers. In science, law and genealogy the level to which a person has climbed can be judged by the usage of the terms "evidence" and "proof". Confusion - When there existed two or more persons with identical names in the same location at the same time the records left concerning the name are deemed confused. We generally lack the means to separate these records unless some unique identifying method can be found. ABBREVIATIONS The following shows abbreviations used in the files: 333a 333 acres of land acct account admr administrator appl application(usually for a pension) bal balance(as in an account) bdsman bondsman Bk book or ledger Br branch of a river or organization cem cemetery cen census cert certificate(usually Quaker) ch child or children Ch Church Cher Cherokee Co county or company Cr creek CSA Confederate States of America Ct court dau daughter DB deed book disch discharged dist civil district E,N,S,W the four cardinal directions est estate fr from gdn guardian gene genealogy gf, gm grandfather or grandmother hist history or historical inv inventory Jnr,Jr Junior JP Justice of the Peace Ld land marr married MB marriage book or marriage bond mem member MG Minister of God milt military Min minutes, as court minutes mtd mounted nep nephew news newspaper p page pens pension pers prop personal property PFR Paschall Genealogical Committee, Paris, TN Prim Bapt Ch Primitive Baptist Church pt part publ published rec'd recorded rec,rec's record or records regt regiment sis/bro sister or brother Snr,Sr Senior soc society TL tax list tw twin twp township unk unknown vol volunteers or volume WB will book wit witness x'ed person could not write and made a mark