Delaware Families Abbreviations

DELAWARE FAMILIES PROJECT

Abbreviations of Words and Original Record Sources

See also Project Description, Sample Entry, Quality Standards,
Format Guide, Abbreviations, References, We Need Help,
Families for Vol. #1 (2004), Registration and All Families Registered

This list will appear at the beginning of each Delaware Families volume

March 11, 2001

Introduction to Abbreviations of Words and Original Record Sources

for abbreviations of references see References; for more information see Format Guide

1. Abbreviations of commonly used words, generally without spaces or punctuation, will be listed in the introduction of each Delaware Families volume to save space.

2. Put no period after any abbreviation, except after initials in people's names.

3. The place is often attached to an abbreviation without a space and assumed to be Delaware, so that the name of the hundred or county is sufficient for place identification.

4. For out-of-state places, spell out the county names followed by "Co" and the 2-letter (all caps) postal state abbreviation (except use NoC for North Carolina to distinguish it from NC for New Castle Co), e.g. [ProbAllenCoOH 5:123]. For counties or towns bordering Delaware with unique names, use shorter abbreviations, e.g. [MarrCecil 22:6]. Use three- letter (all caps) country abbreviations, e.g CND, ENG, FRA, IRE, GER.

5. The abbreviation scheme for government records will generally first list the type of source followed (with no space) by the place, then the specific volume and page: [Type of record, Place of record, space, Volume #, ":", beginning page number; then "in" (if found in a secondary source or "; see" (if it would be helpful to mention one), SecondarySource, beginning page number]. Examples: [ProbSX John Smith 1776 in CalenSX 175], [MilArDE 3:1089], [WillsNC L:16; see CalenNC 87], [DeedsKT A:287], [OrphSX 41:216], [Cen1830SX 32], [Tax1812Broadkill]

6. Abbreviate hundreds with only the first 10 letters and no spaces; e.g., "Baltimore", "WhiteClayC". Exceptions: "LittleCrKT", "LittleCrSX", "NoWestFork". "NewCastle" is a hundred, "New Castle" a town, and "NC" a county.

7. Always abbreviate "c1787" for "about 1787" and "aft", "bef", "btw", "unk"; but always use "and" instead of "&".

8. For focus persons and their parents, do not abbreviate in the text describing events (e.g. use "born", "married", "died", "daughter"); but see exceptions in G8.

9. For children and grandchildren, abbreviate in the text describing events (e.g. "b", "bp", "m", "d", "bur", "dau").

10. For dates always abbreviate months with only 3 letters.

11. Sources should be from the original record. Family bibles are seldom original records, but may be all there is.

12. Minimize secondary sources, but esp. undocumented family sources (indicate by [Submitter's last name]) and igi (Latter-day Saints index). Instead find the original record or at least the source the author used.

13. Each genealogical fact must have a source, but a source may also be applied to a group of facts, such as a birth date and place. Also see D2 of Format Guide for grouping sources.

14. If you do not have a source, indicate with [***] to mark which sources need to be found before we publish.

15. Short and long forms of sources will be listed in the book's introduction. Only short forms, generally designed without spaces or punctuation, will appear in the text.

16. Short forms of sources of published sources generally are composed of the author's name or a title keyword, followed by a space and a page number. Other sources generally begin with the type of source (Bib, mm, Let) with the place attached to it, e.g. mmWilm, BibDAR.

17. Do not put a period after any short form of a source.

18. For sources on consecutive pages, e.g. deeds, only list the first page of the sources.

19. Separate multiple sources by semicolons & a space and multiple pages within sources by commas & no space.

20. Only include a date within a source if it is not otherwise mentioned, e.g. he died "btw 1830 [CenSX 89] and 1840 [CenSX 98]", "In 1820, he res in Dover [CenKT 6]".

21. Avoid using "ibid" or "op cit" for sources.

22. For multiple volume sources, use short form followed by a space, then volume:page (e.g. MilArDE 2:34 or DeedsSX H5:67).

23. The short form of secondary sources is always italicized.

*** Source unknown
______ name unknown
~ spouse or acquaintance of ancestor
: colon used in citations to separate volume and page numbers
/l: suffix meaning in-law
aft: after
Adm: administration of estate
adp: adopted
aq: acquired
AsburyMeth: Asbury Methodist church, Wilmington
b: born
BarrattsCh:  Barratts Chapel, Frederica
Bat: Battalion
bef: before
Beaverdam: Beaverdam MP Church, Harbeson DE
beq: bequeathed
BethelMethMD: Bethel Methodist church Cecil Co, MD
BethesdaMeth: Bethesda Methodist Church, LittleCreek SX
BethelMethBC: Bethel Methodist Church, Bethel, BroadCreek.
Bib: family bible record
BibDPA: Bible Records at the Delaware Public Archives
BibSub: Bible Records in possession of submitter of entry
Bounty: application for Bounty Land (acts of 28 Sep 1850, 3 Mar 1855)
Bounty1812: War of 1812 Bounty Land Claim
bp: baptized
Brandy: Brandywine
bRec: DE birth records (DPA)
bro: brother
btw: between
BucksCo:  Bucks Co PA
bur: buried
c: about
CannonCem: Cannon Family Cemetery ( 8 miles N.W. of Laurel DE)
CaroliCo: Caroline Co MD
cd: city directory
Cecil: Cecil Co MD
Cen: census (usually U.S. Federal and usually followed by year and page)
Cem: cemetery
CentPresbWilm: Central Presbyterian Church, Wilmington DE
CG: Certified Genealogist by Board for Certification of Genealogists, P.O. Box 14291, Washington DC 20044 
ch: child(ren)
Chadd's Ford: Chadd's Ford, DelCo PA
Chanc: Chancery Court (state abbreviation if not DE)
ChesCo: Chester Co PA
ChesCoHS: Chester Co PA Historical Society
Chichester: Chichester, ChesCo PA
ClayCoIL CemRec: Clay Co IL 
Co: County (DE Counties abbreviated: NC, KT, SX)
Coll: Collections 
ColumCoOH: Columbiana Co OH
Com: Company
ComPlea: Common Pleas Court (state abbreviation if not DE)
CorkPresb: Presbyterian Church, Princes St, Cork City, IRE
CR: church records [of church's name immediately preceding]
csn: cousin
Ct: court
d: died
DAR: Daughters of the American Revolution
DAR#: DAR application #
dau: daughter
dbn: de bonis non (concerning goods not settled by preceding administrator)
DeedsXX: Deed book of County XX 
DeedsKT: Kent County deed book
DelCo: Delaware Co PA
DelCoOH: Delaware Co OH 
dis: disowned by Society of Friends
distr: distribution of estate 
DorchesCo: Dorchester Co MD
DPA: Delaware Public Archives at Delaware Hall of Records, Dover DE 19901
dRec: DE death records (DPA)
dRecPhil Philadelphia Death Records, microfilm #XR895 [HSP] 
DSA: Delaware State Archives, DPA as of 1 Jan 1996
dsp: died sans parentage
dspk: died sans parentage known
dv: divorced
Elkton: Elkton, Cecil Co MD
ElktonMeth: Elkton Methodist Church, Cecil Co MD
enl: enlisted
est: estate
EvBerlin: Evergreen Cemetery, Berlin MD
fa: father
FL: Family Line Publications, Rear 63 E Main St, Westminster MD 21157
FASG: Fellow, American Society of Genealogists 
FHCm: microfilm from the Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
FNGS: Fellow, National Genealogical Society 
Fam[Sub]: Family records from submitter of entry
FriendsOdessa: Friend's Burial Ground, Odessa DE
FR: family record (of submitter unless otherwise specified)
g: grand, great
gch: grandchild(ren)
Gen: General
gfa: grandfather
gg: great grand-
gmo: grandmother
Gateway: Gateway Press, Inc,  Baltimore MD 
GPC: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1001 N Calvert St, Baltimore MD 21202-3897
GSP: Genealogical Society of PA
GuardKT: Kent County Guardian Accounts GuardKT: Microfilm RG3840 [DPA]
HB: Heritage Books, Inc, 1450 E Pointer Ridge Place, Bowie MD 20716
Hd: Hundred (all abbreviated generally with 1st 10 letters [no spaces & without Co]
HeadChristiana: Head of Christiana Cemetery
HSC: Historical Society of Chester Co, 225 North High Street, West Chester 19380 
HSCP:  ?? Frazer
HSD: Historical Society of Delaware, 505 N Market St, Wilmington 19801-3091
HSD-Surname: Family folder for that surname at HSD (See also: Surname)
HSP: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
incl: including
inf: infant, infancy
Inv: inventory of an estate
InvMD: Maryland Prerogative Court (Inventories) 
JP: Justice of the Peace
Kennett: Kennett Square PA
KT: Kent Co DE
KtCoMD: Kent Co MD 
LandPatKTCoMD: Certificate & Petition Index, Kent Co MD Land Office (Patented Land), Annapolis MD
LandWarr: Land Warrants on Microfilm, aka Record Book of Shanklands Warrants & Surveys,  DPA
LtrsAdm: Letters of Administration
LewesCoolPresb: Lewes Coolspring Presbyterian Church 
LewesRehob: Lewes & Rehoboth Hd SX
LewesPresb: Lewes Presbyterian Church 
LibCong: Library of Congress, Washington DC
LibNSDAR: Library NSDAR, Washington DC
LicenTav: Tavern License
LittleCrKT: Little Creek Hd KT
LittleCrSX: Little Creek Hd SX
LondonGrove: London Grove PA 
LondonTractBap: London Tract Baptist Church, Strickersville, ChesCo 
Lt: Lieutenant
m: married
m2: married second
mm: minutes of named monthly meeting Society of Friends (e.g. mmConcord);  a suffix may define specific minutes (e. g. mmConcordB for Births, D for Deaths, Mr for Marriages, Mm for Membership, Mn for Mens, R for Removals, W for womens);most of the original records are in the Friends Historical Libraries at Swarthmore College PA or Haverford College PA
MariCo: Marion Co VA, in WV after 1863
MarionCo: Marion Co OH
MarrB: marriage bond (DE unless state abbreviation attached; DE records at DSA)
MarrC: marriage certificate (state abbreviation if not DE; DE at DSA)
MarrDPA: DPA Marriage Records
MarrcSub: marriage certificate in possession of submitter of entry
MarrL: marriage license (state abbreviation if not DE)
MarrMD: Marriages, card file Hall of Records Annapolis MD
MarshRehob: Marsh Cem, Rehoboth
Matthews1. Matthews Family Cemetery, Broadcreek Hd., Sussex Co. DE ( 2.5 miles N.W. of Lowes Crossroads), 
Matthews2. Matthews Family Plot near Sycamore.
MessickCem: Messick Family Cemetery, near Sycamore, Broadcreek Hd, Sussex Co 
MH: Meeting House (usually Friend's)
MHM: Maryland Historical Magazine, 1894- , (v 6 = 1911), pub by MHS (Baltimore), Sheridan Press, Hanover PA  
MHR: Maryland Hall of Records, Annapolis, MD
MHS: Maryland Historical Society 
MiltonZion: Zion UM Church, Milton DE
MMG: Maryland Magazine of Genealogy
MonongCo: Monongalia Co VA (WV after 1863)
MononCo:    Monongalia Co VA, in WV after 1863
MortMT: U.S. Census Mortality Schedule for Montana 1880.
Ms: manuscript
MtOliveFred: Mt Olive Cemetery in Frederick Co MD
MtOlivetMethS:  Mt Olivet Methodist Church, Seaford
NC: New Castle Co DE
NCMeth: New Castle Methodist Church
NCPresb: New Castle Presbyterian Church
nd: no date
NewCasMeth: New Castle Methodist
NewCasPresb: New Castle Presbyterian
NewGarden: New Garden, Chester Co, PA 
New Market: New Market Churchyard nr Ellendale in CedarCreek
NewMarket E of Ellendale SX
NoC: North Carolina
NorthumCo: Northumberland Co PA
NorthamVA: Northampton Co VA
NoWestFork: Northwest Fork Hd SX 
nr: near
NSDAR: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
OB: Old Book
obit: obituary
OldMethCemM: Which church in Milton?
OldSalemCem:   details?
OldMEGeorgetown: Old Methodist Episcopal Church, Pine St, Georgetown.
OldSwedes: Holy Trinity (Old Swede's) Church, Wilmington (HSD)
OldSwedesPhil: Gloria Dei (Old Swede's) Church, Philadelphia 
OldUnionMeth: Old Union Methodist Church, Blackbird
op: opposite (as in the page opposite)
Order: Order Books of County government
Orph: Orphan's Court Records
OS:       Old Series
Pen: U.S. Government military pension file
perhaps: little more than a hypothesis, but not enough to be "possibly"
PencadPres: Pencader Presbyterian church
PrerogMD: Prerogative Court Testamentary Proceeding, of Year MSA: Maryland State Archives, Hall of Records, Annapolis
Phila: Philadelphia PA
Pittsville: Pittsville, Wicomico Co MD
Pleas: Common Pleas Court (state abbreviation if not DE)          
poss: "possibly" - meaning only circumstantial, but no conflicting evidence
PrerogMD: Prerogative Court of MD [has early wills, accounts, etc. for MD] 
Presb: Presbyterian 
PresbLIRCS: United Presbyterian Church of Lewes, Indian River and Cool Springs
prob: "probably" - meaning not proven, but good evidence
Prob: Probate Record, followed (no space) by Co or state abbre, then either page or case source or name of deceased and dates [in DE, Register of Wills, not Probate Court]
ProbPet: Probate Petition with attached Co and/or state abbreviation
PSL: Pennsylvania State Library, Harrisburg PA
pub: published
Pvt: Military rank of Private
QueenAnCo: Queen Annes Co MD
Rec: records
RedMen: Red Men's Cemetery, Ellendale DE
Reg: register
rem: removed
res: resided
ResCtrDHC: Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture, Salisbury,MD
Rev: Reverend
RevWar: Revolutionary War
ReynoldsME: Reynolds ME Church, SX
Riverview: Riverview Cem, Wilmington
s: served (generally followed by war, unit and/or year)
sic: exactly as original
Sales: Bills of Sale
sib: siblings
sis: sister
SomersCo: Somerset Co MD
StAnnes: St Anne's Episcopal Church, Middletown
StGeorgesIR (was StGeorgeEpis): St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, Indian River SX
StMartin: St Martin's Episcopal Church, Berlin MD (record transcripts at MHS)
StPauls: St Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, Philadelphia
Sub: submitter of entry
Sup: Superior Court
Surname: Surname card file at HSD (See also HSD-Surname)
Swarthmore: Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College PA 
SX: Sussex Co DE
TalbotCo: Talbot Co MD 
Tax: DE state tax [usually collected by hundred] generally followed by year 
tmb: tombstone (followed by location)
twp: township
UDsc: University of Delaware, Special Collections
UDsc: University of Delaware, Special Collections
UPAr: University of Pennsylvania Archives
UnGeorgetown: Union Cemetery, Georgetown
UnionCo: Union Co OH
unk: unknown
unm: unmarried
UPAr: University of Pennsylvania Archives
vol: volume
VR: vital records
WashCoPA: Washington Co PA
West Caln: West Caln, Chesco PA 
WestmoreVA: Westmoreland Co VA
WicomiCo: Wicomico Co MD
wid: widow (also Wid)
Wilm&Brandy: Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington 
Wilm: Wilmington 
Wills: will records
w/o: without
Worces: Worcester Co MD
y: young
yr: year
yr?: year unknown

We are not equipped to answer general queries - see Submitting Queries.