Understanding Errors Made During Microfilming

 Bedford County Tennessee deed books O-R were microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and  Archives and are digitally available via FamilySearch in Image Group Number 008150799.  I'm so thankful to have these records and others like them available to access from home.  

The IGN 8150799 images might be confusing to some because of errors in the target images.  Target images are documents added that give additional information about the item being microfilmed. Some examples are: End of roll, End of item, Tight Binding, Smeared Ink, etc.  Volume O contains deeds for 1821-1822 and has an index for those deeds at the front of the book.  While the dates covered are correct the book is more than an index.

Volumes P, Q, and R are also listed incorrectly as Index Books on the target images but now we have an additional error.  The person who created the handwritten target pages wrote 19 instead of 18 for the first two numbers of the year. 

 

Volume P

Volume Q

Volume R

Thankfully, FamilySearch has it listed correctly on their site. It is essential that you know what records you are using. A citation is more than just a road map back to the source, it requires understanding the why and when of the record creation as well as recognizing any errors made in the transferring of that record to a different format. This is just one example of errors you might encounter while researching.

Notes:  

Bedford Co TN Deed Books(w/ front index) IGN 008150799

Volume O   Images 6-227
Volume P    Images 229-457
Volume Q   Images 459-659
Volume R   Images 661-931

Just a small portion of a family's paper trail

I have been planning for what seems like forever to go thru papers that were salvaged from Granny Cooke's Scrapbooks. To tell you what all the scrapbooks have been thru would take up more time than I wish to spend on this post.  Let's just say it's a miracle any of the contents survived.  I've had manila folders full of the contents in a file box for a number of years.  This weekend I processed a good bit of them.  I took each of the papers and put them in sheet protectors.  After arranging the pages in chronological order in a 3 ring binder, I began the process of cataloging each page.  I've finished with this notebook for now but I think it's safe to say there will be more added once I am able to get to some of the other files. 

The papers cover the time period from 1943 to 1976.  The following is a list of some of the types of papers that were included.

• Report Cards
• Certificate of Life Insurance(National Service Life Insurance)
• Employment History Draft of my Uncle
• Certificate of Promotion(School)
• Letter Home while in Army(my Dad)
• Television Repair Receipt
• Receipt for purchase of Portable Record Player
• Bill of Sale detailing financing for 1960 Rambler
• Bank Note(Third National Bank)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Itemized Insurance Statement for Hospital Stay
• Correspondence from Veterans Administration
• An Employment Application filled out by my Dad 
• Proof of Auto Insurance from Allstate(1967-1968)
• Letter acknowledging  transfer of Church Membership from Old Hickory 1st Baptist Church
• Letter from Dupont about Pensioners' Day
• Loan Papers from First American National Bank

These papers all had dates on them and most even had addresses.  This captures what was going on with the family at that given point in time.