Why Follow a Format?

• Dates should be stated as day month year with the month given as a three-letter abbreviation (such as 5 Jan 1834).
  
• Wherever possible, the geographic place should be pinpointed including, where possible, the town, hundred and county. (DE is assumed unless stated otherwise).
  
• Submitters should state sources of information whenever possible.
  
• Punctuation should be minimized, e.g. no comma separating city and state nor between the surname and descriptor (Jr, Sr, Esq).
  
• DO NOT USE THE PUNCTUATION MARKS (" or & or ;) because they are ignored by the web form. Instead use parentheses for ", "and" for "&", and a comma (,) or a period (.) for a semicolon (;).
  
• Common Abbreviations (generally without periods):
  
  • DO NOT abbreviate hundred
    
  • Use KT, NC or SX for Kent, New Castle and Sussex Co
    
  • Co = county
    
  • Use 2-letter state abbreviations (e.g. MD, PA, VA and NoC for North Carolina)
    
  • Abbreviate ALL months using the first THREE letters, e.g. Mar, Jul, Oct
    
  • Abbreviate numerical descriptors alphanumerically, such as 3rd son, 2nd wife, etc
    
  • Use b=born, bap=baptized, d=died, m=married, m2=second marriage, bur=burial, cem=cemetery
    
  • Use c=about, bef=before, aft=after, btw=between
    
  • Use prob=probably, poss=possibly
    
  • Use info=information, incl=including
    
  • Use res=resided
    
  • Use anc=ancestors, par=parent, des=descendants, ch=children, dau=daughter, bro=brother, sis=sister, sib=siblings, par=parent, ch=children, dau=daughter, bro=brother, sis=sister, sib=siblings, fam=family
    
  • For other abbreviations see the Delaware Families project abbreviationsl