





                         How to read the Record System Report
                                Created by PAFAbility

          The Record System, sometimes called the Modified Register System,
          is a numbering system used in compiled genealogies.  It is a
          modified version of the "Register" or "New England System" used
          by the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register".  Its
          use was pioneered by the "New York Genealogical and Biographical
          Record".  It is also used in the "National Genealogical Society
          Quarterly".  The report created by PAFAbility differs from the
          standard in that no distinction is made between male and female
          descendant lines (both are carried to their conclusion) and only
          the name of a child is shown if the child's line is continued.

          In the list of children of an individual, each child is assigned
          a small case Roman numeral (i, ii, etc.) to indicate birth order. 
          Each individual is also assigned a unique Arabic numeral (1, 2,
          etc) which precedes the birth-order number.  If a child has
          descendants, then just the name is shown and a plus sign (+) is
          placed next to the Arabic number to indicate that the line is
          continued later in the report.

          To illustrate:

                                   First Generation
          1    Common ancestor
               Children by 1st wife
             +2i    First child
               Children by 2nd wife
              3ii   Second child
                                  Second Generation
          2    First child of #1
             +4i    First child of #2
                                   Third Generation
          4    First child of #2
              5i    First child of #4


          The index to the report lists the unique Arabic number assigned
          to the individual.  If the number is followed by an "S", then the
          individual is the spouse of the person with that number (spouses
          are not given unique numbers).  Then the individual's name is
          listed and the page(s) where he can be found.  In this version of
          the report, women are listed by their maiden names only.


