How to use the Numbers that appear within Brackets in Family Trees

Within some of the family trees a number, enclosed within brackets, has been added ahead of a name. Examples include, [3] and [121]. The significance and use of these numbers within brackets are as follows. Whenever such a bracketed number appears, it indicates that the name that follows appears more than once within that family tree. This can happen, for example, when the individual has been married more than once. It can also happen as a result of cousins having married within that family tree. The latter example can also result in the replication of the progeny of cousins-marrying-cousins. This will sometimes give rise to the occurrence of many bracketed numbers within a family tree.

These bracketed numbers can be useful to the researcher. By searching the family tree for a bracketed number, a researcher can readily find how many times the replication has occurred. By examining each occurrence of the number, a researcher can usually determine why it has been replicated. Knowledge of why the number is being replicated can sometimes reveal interesting facts about the individual and the family.

To search for the occurrence of replicate, bracketed numbers, simply highlight and copy the number (including the brackets), then go to the search function on your computer and paste the number into the box. Go to the top of the family tree and click on Search or Find or whatever your program requires to activate the search. Use the Find Next button to go to the next occurrence of the bracketed number.

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