Searches:
To do a broad search, limit your search fields to as few as necessary. Converesly, for a specific search, use more search criteria.
The MurphySearcher uses 'look-alike' criteria when it searches. For example, if you put '1898' in a date field, the searcher will find all of the following entries:
24 AUG 1898
ABT 1898
C1898
JANUARY 16, 1898
However, if you put 'Abt 1898' in the date field, the searcher will find only one entry:
ABT 1898
So, be careful when you do a search that you don't over-specify...you may miss the very entry you are looking for!
State Names:
Please make every attempt to abbreviate names of U.S. states with the two-letter postal abbreviation. Otherwise, searches using state names will have to include, for example, 'Virginia', 'VA', and 'Vir.'. Using the two-letter abbreviation will simplify things for everybody!
Entering your MURPHY Ancestors:
Putting your family information into MurphySearch is simple.
To get to the data entry screen, simply do a search on the information you want to include. The search results will verify whether your Murphy is already there. If not, then click the 'yes' button at the bottom which asks if you want to enter information on your ancestor (it doesn't have to be an actual ancestor as long as it's a Murphy!).
You will be presented with a data entry screen. Simply fill in whatever information you have into the spaces provided. It does not matter if you leave some spaces blank...in fact, blanks are actually much better than entries such as 'n/a' or 'unknown' or '???'. So, leave unknown information blank! When you are finished entering information, click on the 'Input' button to add your information to the database. That's it! Everybody in the entire world now has access to your Murphy information.
Please read this word about copyrights.
We wish to thank Business Development Testing, Inc. for donating this web space and designing the search database and interface. It is folks like these that make family research fun!