* Using AS with Dutch Population Registers

[Chrisv]

The Dutch had an interesting way of keeping track of the population. Instead of conducting a census, they kept track of people using their address. In the register, each house had its own page. At the beginning of a 10 or 20 year period, the inhabitants of each house were entered into the register with their date of registration, name, relationship to the head of house, date of birth, birth place, marital status. There were also additional columns for any changes, religious affiliation, occupation, residence, Date of new arrivals, former residence, date of departures, where moved to, date of death, Comments . The record was then kept up to date with any births, deaths, or if people moved away or arrived. They also had separate municipal registers of any people entering or leaving the municipality and where they were going, or coming from.
I use AS religiously for recording census data in the USA, and I would like to figure out a work-around for using it with the Dutch Population Registers, but I can't seem to wrap my head around for a way to do this. Does anyone have any ideas, or does anyone use AS for similar situations?
Thanks everyone for any ideas!

[NickWalker]

Without seeing actual examples it's a bit difficult to be sure but it sounds like it would be possible to create a census template at least for the initial data recorded, possibly similar to an electoral register template that doesn't specify a date.

When the data changes I suppose you could create another entry for that date duplicating the existing data and adding any changed data and do the same for other changes, almost like these are 'snap-shot' complete census records for those moments in time. Alternatively you could just manually edit the original source in Family Historian to show those changes and then add any necessary dated facts in FH and link them back to the source.

[Chrisv]

Here is a photo of the register, and a translation on a spreadsheet to help clarify. The strike-out you see is what they did when a person left or died. I have never attempted to make a new template in AS, but I have modified one before. I understand that with a new template the fields could be manually filled in with any information not auto filled, but with, for e.g. a US census, AS will automatically generate a residence and occupation event in FH - what makes that happen? What is the trigger that will make it?
Why do you think something like an electoral template would work best?
Seeing the actual Population Register, are there any other thoughts you have that will help?
Thanks Nick!

Population Register Pic

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Population Register Excel

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[NickWalker]

I only mentioned the electoral register because they don't have a specific date set within the template, unlike the census templates.

When you create a census template you can choose column types for each column

Census Template Column Types.PNG.jpg (26.41 KiB) Viewed 1267 times

All of these can either lead to data being stored in particular facts, or in the case of some of the columns (e.g. MarriageCondition, Gender) allows AS to automatically suggest what those values should be. Generic is used for columns that aren't catered for by the other column types. Data entered into Generic columns won't generally be saved anywhere other than in the source text unless you use the 'Local Note' option to specify you would like the data to be added to the census or occupation fact local note. You can also specify a list for generic columns if you wish. If you click on the Help button on the census template screen you should find the guidance there useful.

[Chrisv]

Thanks Nick,
I think you have put me a good path to get me started. It is making more sense now. I'll play around and get a better feel for what's under the hood.
Thanks again!

[Chrisv]

I just want to bat around a few ideas here. The Population Register book was started every 10 to 20 years. The book would be used from, for e.g. 1850-1860. So, on January 1st of 1850, the "census" was conducted and every house had the inhabitants of each house listed in the register on one page. This would have been the equivalent of our Census, and in AS I could do a Census event and include all the original names listed (there could be additional names listed in the register later in the year, but I would not include those). Every time a person would be born, died, left or arrived, they would either add the name or cross off the name in the register. I would treat each of these as an Event and would add an Event in FH that would only include the person that was born, died, arrived or left. I would then use the same Source that was generated in AS for the original Census.
Does this make sense to y'all? What are the pros vs cons of doing it this way?

[tatewise]

That seems like the correct way to go except perhaps for one clarification.

The source citation of the Population Register would show its status in 1860 rather than 1850, so that all the changes in that decade are visible and included in the transcript.

[NickWalker]

Another way to deal with it to treat this as being a series of census records because, taking your printed example in this thread, it actually existed in an unaltered state in 1850, it was then modified in 1854, modified again in 1857, again in 1858, again in 1860. So you could record it as 5 different census sources showing who was living at the address on each of those dates so you would get 5 residence/census facts for some of the people, confirming they were living in the address on those dates. I'm not entirely sure I'd have the patience to do this, but it is another approach.

[Chrisv]

I think the one thing this does better than a typical census is that it not only gives a snapshot of who was here at a particular moment, but it also tells the story of when & where that person came from or went to (other than death) . To show this more clearly:
Imagine a standard Census showing that on 1/27/1945, John Smith lived on 121 Broad Street in Chicago Ill.
Or imagine a Population Register document showing John Smith Arrived to 121 Broad Street on 1/12/1945 from Atlanta Georgia. Not only does it tell where the person came from, but also the actual date he arrived.
I am not attempting to point out that one way is better or worse than another, but rather, I want to take advantage of this information and find the best way to make it visible. Does multiple "Census" snapshots of the event show it better, or does a custom event, maybe labelled "Arrival to Municipality" or "Change of Address" or "Civil Address Change"? I'm not sure what would work the best, but it needs to be transparent and easy enough to do to be manageable. Any more ideas??

[NickWalker]

You would definitely add those extra facts to show where people have gone, when they died, etc. but they would be linked to the particular source snapshots but you would also be showing the other people living in the house at those times. Census records sometimes lead us to assume that people lived there for the whole 10 years between the census dates even though they may have e.g. gone off to fight in a war in between. Your dutch record confirms who was there at various points in that 10 year period.

On balance with your dutch register I'd probably just record the whole source including changes and update the dates on the residence/census facts to reflect the years they lived there.

[Chrisv]

I understand what you're saying, Nick. I like the idea of recording it all and then changing the residence fact. It goes along with what Tatewise was saying in the the source is in effect for 1860, not 1850 since all the information has been entered.
I have made template for 1850-1860, but can't figure out how to save it "as", so I don't have to start from scratch on every different template. Each year and each municipality is a little different. The help file makes it seem easy, but I'm not getting it yet.
Thanks to both of you for all your input.

[NickWalker]

To duplicate a census template, first select the template and then click the copy button. Then create a new template by typing in a Type, Region and Year and then click New. Then click Paste.

[Chrisv]

Ha - I knew it was too easy - Duhh.
Thanks!

[Chrisv]

Is there a way that the generated Pop. Register can import into FH as a Pop. Register fact instead of a Census fact (see below). I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or if it is not possible, because it is using the Census template.

Hmmm. Odly, I just tried it with a different template I made for Passenger Ship lists and it worked just fine!?!?

[tatewise]

In your Population Register template definition, the option for Fact: should be Use custom event which is defined in the Custom Event: box that appear below. See the Help for advice.

Currently, you have Fact: Use default fact which uses either Census or Residence depending on the Tools > Options setting.

[Chrisv]

I just found the problem. Sorry about bothering you with this.

[Chrisv]

Everything is pulling in as expected except that it is not recording the Residence fact in FH. I assume this is because I selected the custom fact option (Pop. Register) in AS instead of the Default fact. I need the FH fact to be Pop. Register, but I would also like to show the Residence fact in FH. Is this possible?

[NickWalker]

Everything is pulling in as expected except that it is not recording the Residence fact in FH. I assume this is because I selected the custom fact option (Pop. Register) in AS instead of the Default fact. I need the FH fact to be Pop. Register, but I would also like to show the Residence fact in FH. Is this possible?

Not currently no, sorry.