Homer NY Pioneers

Homer NY Pioneers

Homer NY Pioneer Database  The Homer NY Pioneer database was created using Legacy Family Tree software.  To-date it includes all of the heads of households found in the 1800, 1820 and 1830 censuses, and some of the pioneers found in the Atwater cemetery and Glenwood cemetery (the cemetery records have only been partially completed).  This database will be updated frequently, so continue to check back as records expand.  I welcome additional information and corrections as long as they are accompanied with source information.

Please note that you will see a number of strange surnames that appear within brackets [].  In order to keep track of women where their maiden name is unknown, I have placed their husband’s name within brackets to make it easier to find them.

ASSUMPTIONS
As I use different data sets, and hopefully receive contributions of data from other researchers, I will have to make some assumptions in order to incorporate this information into the pioneer database.  I will try to track those assumptions here so that they are clear for anyone using the database for their own research.

Cemetery Record Assumptions
I am assuming that anyone who has been buried in the cemeteries within the boundaries of Homer lived in this area at some time.  Of course, that will not be 100% true.  As I discover additional information about these individuals, if any of my assumptions [by individual] do not hold true, I will make corrections accordingly.  Connections to Existing Persons in the Database.  Since I don’t have a lot of detail recorded about the individuals in the database, if I find a name match to the cemetery transcriptions, I check the estimated ages based on the census data as well as the make up of the family from the census detail, to determine if I feel I can link the cemetery transcription to this individual.  I may discover that some of these links are not accurate as I collect additional information, but I believe the margin of error will be small enough to proceed.

Census Record Assumptions

When I find the same name in multiple census years, I check the date ranges for age.  If the date ranges make it possible that the individuals are the same, I record both sources and detail information on the same record in the pioneer database.  If other sources provide conflicting or clarifying information, adjustments will be made.  I have started to work with the 1850 census.  While this census provides the names of all members of the household, it does not provide relationships.  I am making the following assumptions:  a man and woman listed together, close in age, with the same last name will be recorded as husband and wife in the pioneer database; children with the same last name in a household as the adults will be recorded as children for those parents; elderly adult(s) with the same last name living in a household will be recorded as parents of one of the younger adult couple. These assumptions will cause errors for some families, but sources in the database should allow viewers to determine the validity of the relationships.  As additional records are examined, errors will hopefully come to light and be corrected.