The Basics - Help for Internet Beginners!

Browser Requirements - Browsers and the Register!

Searching the Register - Using our Search Engine!

Guestbook/Queries Page! - Hints and information on its use!

PEI Resources and the Register - Resources and the Register!

Help Needed - Can you help me with the Register?

Conclusion.

The Basics

Everyone starts off somewhere, and it has come to my attention that several have started out on the Web by accessing the Register.

The Register is a series of linked pages, which may be likened to a tree. The first page (the Index page), is the trunk, and the links on the page are the branches. Each branch can lead to other branches. There are over 800 so called "branches" on the Register.

To connect to these branches, click on the "hypertext" links. For example:

Something Page - Connects to some page

This link is not activated, but if it were, click your mouse over the highlighted text, "Something Page". Your browser would take you there. If you wish to return, either use the links at the bottom of each page, or use your browser's back button.

Browser Requirements

I have tried to keep the browser requirements to a minimum for the Register. However, there are some functions best displayed by using Image Maps, Forms, or Tables. If using a browser less than Netscape or I.E. 2.0, some items will not show properly, and you will not be able to use an image map (e.g. the map used to access the 1798 censuses). This is unfortunate, but in order to best present this information to the majority of users, we must use this technology, although, as I said, we keep it to a minimum. If you are viewing this screen, your browser should be capable of all the above, but if you hear of anyone having difficulties with some items on the Register, suggest to them that they download newer browser software. It will be of advantage to them, not only on this page, but on almost all Internet pages.

Searching the Register

The Island Register has an online search engine which will search the web site for any key word, be it a location, or a name. Just click on the search engine link, and you will see a table with a space for entering your search string. Alternatively, you may use our border search form. If you enter a phrase, name or location, then click on "Search", you will be presented with a screen which gives links to all documents on the Register which include the phrase searched for. This may take a minute, as the search engine must go through almost 900 documents. From that screen, you may click on any of the links to view the information there. You may want to narrow the search further. To do this, use your browser search function when at the referred page. Just type in the same search phrase you used on the Register's search engine, and it will highlight the point on the page where your search phrase appears. To go back to the selection screen, simply click on you browser's "Back" button.

The Register Guestbook

The Guestbook/Queries page is one of the Register's most popular and useful features. To use it, got to the link near the bottom of the Index page of the Register, and click on "Please Sign our Guestbook/Queries Page", and you will be taken to a guestbook entry form. Here you will find spaces for entering your Name, email address, URL if you have a home page, City, Province or State, and a space for entering your comments or query.

Your name and email address is required. It is suggested that you use all capitals for surnames, as it can help the reader to find surnames he has information or an interest in. Please include enough information on the person/family you are inquiring about, i.e. full name, spouse's name, location of birth/settlement, Birth/Death years if known, and children's names if known, plus any additional information you might think would help.

When done click on "Submit Query" and wait for the server to come back to you. Do not click twice, be patient. When it does, it will show you your query, and give you the option of going to the guestbook to look at your query. If you go back and do not see your query, do not re-enter, simply press your browser's reload button. This will read a fresh copy of the guestbook file from the server, and this will include your query.

To Read the guestbook or queries, from the main page click on "Read our current Guestbook/Queries!". You will be shown the current guestbook file, including all entries. Periodically, when the guestbook file gets very long, I archive the guestbook, and you will find the past guestbook archives below the main guestbook. To read them, simply click on their link.

Basic Resources

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy "The Island Register", and find information that you are looking for. I have no intention of trying to duplicate information that is presented so very well by the P.E.I. Archives, PEI Genealogical Society, or the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, but have presented here links to them, as well as catalogs of their publications if available. They are wonderful resources, and are very important to those researching P.E.I. families.

Documents presented on the Register are proofread carefully, but your primary resource should always be the source document, the name, and location of each is presented somewhere on each page.

Bear in mind that much of the family lineage information on the Register is the work of amateur genealogists, and may contain errors. This is not meant to be an affront to any of our submitters, most files are extremely well documented, but it is safest to use them as guides only, and by all means use the link to the submitter of each family file, they will be very happy to hear from you!

Can you be of help?

Yes, most definately! If you have family information that you would like to see on the Register, it may be sent to me to be posted on the family page. There is no charge for this, and it is a wonderful way of getting in touch with others related to you! For more details, see the Family Page!

If you have historical documents that you feel would be of use to others, I would be thrilled to put them on-line! If you have spare time, and would like to type up information for us, I would be forever indebted.

Remember, I am only one person, and my time is very limited, I would very much appreciate any help you can give. In the months since the Register went online, I have spent from 4 to 10 hours daily entering information and administering this page, and it is funded entirely by myself. Why? Because so many people have helped me in all facets of life through the years, and this is my way of giving back!

Your kind comments since the Register went online Jan. 29 1997, have truly been appreciated, and makes all the work worth while! Our users are the best people in the world, and the page would not be what it is today, without them!

Finally!

There is no charge to use the Register, it is my way of giving back to those who have helped me along the way..... I hope you enjoy it, and, using it and the other great P.E.I. resources, are able to find out more about your ancestors, and the history of our great province! Finally, thank you for coming to the page, you are welcome always!

Dave

Note: This file may be minimized and kept in the Win95 taskbar while going through the other pages, and may be referred to at any time it is needed. To do this click on the flat line icon at the top right hand of the mini screen. To bring it back up, in Windows 95, click on its name in the taskbar, and in Windows 3.x, use Alt-Tab to bring it back. Keep Alt-Tabbing till you come to its name, then release.