Instructions

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Check on the Transcription Status of all Books.
Recent Additions Transcriptions Entries will only show up after they have been checked. Some Index entries will show up immediately.
The beginning of a linkable collection of Old Legal &C Terms found in our transcriptions. Ancient Records Dictionary
If you have suggestions for additions to the dictionary, please let me know.
PDF (Printable) version of the following Instructions

Book Transcription Instructions Probate Every Name Index Instructions Probate Transcription Instructions Simple HTML code and symbols for Transcriptions INSTRUCTIONS
Enter your initials, User ID and Password in the form in the upper frame. Check an option Marriage Books, Deed Books or Probate Records. Click on the "Submit Password" button. A form will appear to match the option that you choose.

For Deed Book Index entries... Step 1 Select an available Index Book from the drop down list. On the next page choose an available Index Page to add to the database. Click on the the "Get Form" button. Enter all of the records from the page into the form before submitting the form. Use only one Grantor and one Grantee per record. Do not leave blank lines between entries. A blank line tells the insert program that there are no more entries and the program will stop.
Step 2 This Form is to allow for corrections and additions to the Deed Index created in Step 1 from the typed Deed Index Books. The progarm will find allow you to choose any book and page combination that have already been through Step 1
Select your Book and Click Select Book. The next page will allow you to select a page. Click Get Form to get started.
You will now see the two entries from the typed index. Click the red link labeled DBF to place the deed book with the correct page in the bpttom frame. Click Add Entries to recieve a form to enter further information for the Deed.
(Step 2 can also be entered from the "Add Entries" button if you review your entries from Step 1.)
Things to do with this form.
IMPORTANT... Enter all of the information and update one of the two Records from the typed index First. You will be returned to the initial page. Click Add Entries again. Then update the second record, the information that you entered fro the first Record will be picked up automatically by the second record. Simply They will be labeled in Red "From Typed Index". After that any additional records will pick up what you have already entered.
You will be returned to the first page. Add any additional names from the deed, witnesses or anyone else that is mentioned in the deed.

Replace Initials in the two existing entries with Names where possible.
Enter the date the deed was recorded. You may have to page the deed book in the bottom frame to find this date.
Enter the beginning and ending page for the deed. This should have been accomplished while finding the Recorded date by paging through the book to locate the end of the deed.
Do not try to enter the Soundex Code. It will be generated for us.
Denote whether the deed starts at the top of the page or not.
Add additional Individuals to the index. (up to 5 at a time)

Most deeds are longer than one page, use the Link at the top of the Step 2 page to view the Book in the bottom frame to determine the end of the deed. At the end of the deed there should be a "Recorded this... " statement. A new form will be generated at the bottom of the page to add additional individuals. Use Grantor, Grantee, Witness, Notary, Justice of Peace, etc. If there is no simple match, just use "Mentioned". For Property Descriptions... Include town or city, if given, and Subdivision or Addition to the city or town, if given. Include Range Township and Section in this form (SEC99 TWP99 R99) or (SEC9 TWP9 R99), again, if they are given. If more than one are given, include as many as possible. Simplify fractional section descriptions... North half of North East quarter of South East quarter becomes N1/2 of NE1/4 of SE1/4. If the description is very long quarter sections can be shortened to NE4 for North East quarter, etc. Simplyfy all directions "Commencing at a point 250 South feet from the North East Corner of Section 12, run West 150 feet, thence South 100 feet to a stake, thence East 150 feet to the Point of Beginning" becomes "Begin 250 ft S of NE corner SEC12 run W 150 ft S 100 ft N 150 ft E 100 ft to POB". Keep in mind only 255 characters, including spaces, will fit in the Property Description field in the database. For a date use the year recorded, usually on the last page of the Deed. Most information for each deed, once entered will automatically be entered in new entries for that deed.
If you can not read a name, try for at least the first letter and then use * for the letters that you cannot read. Example Ma***y, or M****, etc.

Load Image before beginning.

Deed, Mortgage. Minutes, Probate and all other Book Transcription Instructions... Choose the book that you want to work on. We will be starting with Deed Record Q. Then click the "Select Book" button. On the next page, choose a page. The next available page will appear at the top of the drop down page listing. Click the "Get Form" button.
A form will appear on the next page consisting of a set of links and a text box. Use either the "Small" or the "Large" link to load the page image in the bottom frame. Then enter the entire transcription of the page image in the text box. Match the end of your typed lines with the handwritten lines on the original page. You must hit "Enter" at the end of each line to mark it as the end of a line. This will insure that all of your spacing and formatting inside the text box will be retained when the transcription is displayed online.. When you are finished with the entire transcription, Click "Save Transcription to Database".
Use *s to replace words that you can not read. Try for at least the first letter and then use * for the letters that you cannot read. Example Ma***y, or M****, etc. If you have no idea what the word might be, just use ***** for the entire word. If you think you know a word but you aren't quite sure about it, add 3* to the end of the word... appurtenances*** and I will be sure to check it.
To temporarily save a portion of your transcription for any reason, check the box near the bottom of the text box and then click the "Save Transcription to Database" button. You will be returned to a page where you can finish your transcription, you may also leave the site and come back later to finish your transcription. You must remember the Book and page number to be able to recover your transcription. If you wish to take a page to transcribe offline, first take the page and enter your name and the date in the text box. Check the box to temporarily save the transcription and click the "Save" button. When you are ready to copy and paste your transcription into the text box, simply come back and recover the page and replace your name with your transcription. If you realize that you have made a mistake right after you have clicked the "Save Transcription to File" button, you can use the "Back" button on your browser to return to the form with your data intact and make corrections.
A little html that will help us both. If you want to underline any text or numbers, type before what you want underlined and right after. Spaces left between your text/numbers and the coding will also be underlined. EXAMPLE: 125.87 would look like this 125.87. To create the ~~Struck out~~ look, use <s> before, and </s> after the text you want struck out. You can also create Bold Text by using and . To create superscript, smaller font at the top of the line, use and , it will look like this M^cDonald, or 1^st and with the underline you can do this... $20⁰⁰. If you want a double line or a horizontal rule across the width of the page or column, simply type <hr>. Example follows...
Beyond HTML code are a few symbols that look good in a transcription. The cent sign, ¢, is produced by this code ¢ The degree sign, for deed transcriptions that use it in directions such as West 5° North 500 feet, is produced by this code °

Be sure you have the right image loaded before entering data.

For Probate Records... If you know the File ID Number of the file that you want to index, enter it in File Id Number box and, click on the "Setup Form" button. If you don't know the File Id Number, use the File Id Number Search to find and input a File ID Number.
A form will appear that will allow you to add or update entries to the All Name Database. Enter the names of all individuals found on each page, with the exception of Judges and Clerks. Please also enter any place names found on each page. Use this format to enter place names... Enter the place name as *Place Name (Example: *Micanopy) in the Surname Field and then enter *Location (simply *Location) in the Given Name Field.
Additional Notes:
If you can not read a name, try for at least the first letter and then use * for the letters that you cannot read. Example Ma***y, or M****, etc.

For Probate Transcriptions... If you know the File ID Number of the file that you want to index, enter it in File Id Number box. Then click the "Setup Form" button. If you don't know the File Id Number, use the File Id Number Search to find your file. Click the File ID Number from the results table corresponding to your selected file.
A page will appear that will allow you to choose an image and a format for a form to transcribe that image. (Note: If a page is made up of 2 images, transcribe both in one form.) Use "Previous Document", "Next Document" and "Index" to navigate through images. The Index Page will show which images have been Transcribed. Load an image into the bottom frame to determine which column format best fits the image. Check that box for the best format and click "Setup Form" to bring up the form. Enter the complete text of the image in the proper columns. Your spacing and formatting will be retained. The text in the narrow columns will wrap, but you must hit "Enter" at the end of each line to mark it as the end of a line. In other words the text wrap that you see in the columns will unwrap in the html version. The last column in multi-column formats is right justified. When you are finished with the entire transcription, Click "Save Transcription to file". Then on the resulting page, click "Setup Form" to return to the image/form menu page.
If you realize that you have made a mistake right after you have clicked the "Save Transcription to File" button, you can use the "Back" button on your browser to return to the form with your data intact and make corrections.
A little html that will help us both. If you want to underline any text or numbers, type before what you want underlined and right after. Spaces left between your text/numbers and the coding will also be underlined. EXAMPLE: 125.87 would look like this 125.87. To create the ~~Struck out~~ look, use <s> before, and </s> after the text you want struck out. You can also create Bold Text by using and . To create superscript, smaller font at the top of the line, use and , it will look like this M^cDonald, or 1^st and with the underline you can do this... $20⁰⁰. If you want a double line or a horizontal rule across the width of the page or column, simply type <hr>. Example follows...
Beyond HTML code are a few symbols that look good in a transcription. The cent sign, ¢, is produced by this code ¢ The degree sign, for deed transcriptions that use it in directions such as West 5° North 500 feet, is produced by this code °

Be sure you have the right image loaded before entering data.

Load Image before Transcribing.

You Must use the link (Small (600 pixel) or Large (2400 to 1200 pixel) in the upper frame to load an image into this frame. Make sure that you have the right image in the frame.

For help, email Jim Powell Jr at jep@thor.co.alachua.fl.us with a cc to jpowelljr@gru.net.