Ted, if you are transcribing an original record, you should type the  
name exactly as it appears in the document.  You should not change or  
explain it.

As for professional standards on this and many other matters, I  
recommend this book:

Professional Genealogy, A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors,  
Lecturers, and Librarians
Elizabeth Shown Mills, editior
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2001)
ISBN No. 0-8063-1648-9 (pbk.)
Library of Congress No 00-067225

Craig Kilby




On Jan 22, 2009, at 1:15 PM, Ted Delaney wrote:

> I'm curious what the prevailing opinion is about the reliability  
> and consistency of given name abbreviations in 18th- and 19th- 
> century Virginia documents.
>
> For example, does "Jas" always mean "James"?
>
> Can "Jos" mean anything other than "Joseph"?
>
> If we are transcribing names from a primary source of that period,  
> is it wrong to record "Geo" as "George"?  Are there professional or  
> ethical standards about this?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Ted
>
>
> **********************************
> Ted Delaney
> Archivist & Curator
> Old City Cemetery Museums & Arboretum
> Lynchburg, Virginia
> (434) 847-1465
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