About

Genealogical Databases Perspective

Brookfield Databases - There are two ancestral databases which are used privately for ancestral review. The Top DB includes some immigrant ancestors and their ancestors. The Members DB includes the immigrant ancestors and some member descendants of the Old World Hereditary Societies.

Immigrant Ancestor Index
The Barons Index
The Knights of the Garter Index

To provide a brief overview, when I became involved in the review process in 1989, there had been a number of publications starting with the publications of Charles Browning in the 1800s. In the 1940s and 1950s John S. Wurts Sr. published the 8 Volume Magna Charta Series which encouraged interest in old world ancestral research. Also Adams and Weiss produced two books which were edited and revised many times over the years as additional research and study provided additional information. The process continues as additional publications have been produced, some with subsequent editions with the revised information.

It was apparent that it would be necessary to develop a database to provide up to date information. The result, with many hours of data entry, was the Top DB mostly outside the U.S. Also the early Roots programs had limits on the number of people. Also a Members database was started to eventually include the relationships with the members and their immigrant ancestors. 

The Top DB currently includes over 30,000 entries. This database is used to identify the Baron ancestors of approximately 200 Immigrants listed in the Immigrants Page of the web site. As the number of Immigrants is increased the Baron Ancestors can be identified for those as well. There is a plan to include on the Immigrant pages whether the Immigrants are descended from the Plantagenets as well as descent from one or more of the Knights of the Garter.

Since the 1990s I made requests for descendants to provide biographical information concerning their Immigrant ancestors which would be shared. While this information has not been provided, there has been activity on the Wiki pages for many of the Knights of the Garter, including relationships. Also in 1999 an excellent book was prepared on the history of the Order of the Garter including a listing of the Knights. As part of the authentication process, I had previously identified most of the Knights of the Garter in the Top DB with the perspective that they were sufficiently prominent that their relationship information would likely be accurate. I have now included an Index of Knights of the Garter from the Wiki Pages (with credit provided) and color coded those Knights who are in the Top DB and who have been identified with Plantagenet descent.

The Members database has approximately 10,000 people and continues to be in process. 

 

 

 

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