BOOK OF DOW INDEX and NUMBERING SYSTEM

[Pages 779-780]

        This index includes, errors and omissions excepted, the name of every person mentioned in the Book, including those to whom any incidental reference is made.  Its form is unusual and, the Author believes, is the most informatory and most laborsaving of any ever used in a large genealogy.  As the arrangement of the Book is alphabetical, the letter symbols are equivalent to pagination.

        Let us suppose, for example, that a reader wishes to find some John Dow.  There are about 200 such in this Book.  If it had been indexed by pages, he would have to begin with the very first reference and wade along until lack brought him to the right John Dow.  Most genealogies are arranged with a number to each person.  If this were done here, the reader would have the same blind search to come upon his desired John Dow.  In our system the index tells him at a glance that a particular John Dow is of the seventh generation, is the first born child of a 2nd born, of a 3rd born, of a 1st born, of a 6th born, of the 2nd born of Henry Dow, immigrant of 1637.

        Now, that is a great deal of information to be packed into seven letters, is it not?   It may require as much as 60 seconds to learn the method and unless that method is learned, the whole index is absolutely useless. 

        To each name in this Book a letter symbol is attached.  The number of letters in each symbol is the number of the generation of its possessor.  The twelfth generation of Dow is now on earth.  The first letter of each symbol denotes the original Dow immigrant.  This Book includes seven such:

            a     Henry Dow, immigrant of 1637 to Watertown;
            b     Thomas Dow, to Newbury 1639;
            c     Samuel Dow, to Hartford 1660;
            d     John Dow, to Portsmouth by 1693;
            e     Lieut. James Dow, Phila about 1750;
            f      the line of an immigrant to N. Y. about 1750;
            g     the line of a Scotch family to Nova Scotia about 1750.

        Each of these sections is alphabetically placed. The first born of Henry Dow, immigrant, is aa.

        The 2nd child of Henry Dow's 2nd child is abb. The 5th child of the 4th of the 3rd of Thomas Dow, immigrant, must be bcde. Conversely, bcde can be no other than the 5th child of the 4th child of the 3rd child of Thomas.  If a symbol has eight letters, its owner must be a member of the eighth generation.  Look for him, then, in his alphabetical place. 

        The letter symbol attached to every one born a Dow attaches also to his wife (or her husband) and to every person incidentally mentioned in connection with that particular Dow. 

        Be alphabetical.  Remember that bcdbax is placed before bcdbba.

        The letter x or letter y often occurs within a symbol.  This denotes that we do not know the order of birth of the person to whom the symbol belongs.  Unknown quantities are denoted by x or y since algebra was invented.  But, x and y are always herein put in true alphabetical position. 

        Suppose that the name we wish to look up is Jones Dow bcfican.  We look there, but for his birth, his brothers and sisters, we naturally look for the father of Jones Dow, --- of course bcfica; and you will find him in true alphabetical order.

        We may wish to inspect James Dow aba.  As this lad died young, he had no independent career and gets no mention except as son of his parents,--- ab.  Few persons who died unmarried have independent articles devoted to them. 

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        Immediately following this index is a supplementary chapter, followed by its own index.  This chapter covers all data received too late for insertion in the body of the Book. 

        Preceding symbols beginning with an (a) are occasionally to be found, some beginning with an (x).  This is to denote the English ancestors of Henry Dow, immigrant, and they in the Book precede the narrative of Henry Dow, who was both (a) and (xaaf).  Concisely, Henry was the 6th born of 1st born of 1st born of John Dow d 1544, whose parentage is unknown.  Henry Dow practically adopted his step-son, Thomas Nudd.  For convenience we treat of him just after the family of Henry Dow himself; we give to Thomas Nudd the symbol (ak).

SAMPLE INDEX PAGE

DOW