The method used for the reconstitution of families from parish register data by hand has been described in detail elsewhere. It may be useful, nonetheless, to provide examples of the slips used in the process of reconstitution and of the larger FRF. The four types of slips are reproduced in figure A2.1 together with an FRF. The slips are designed so as to be able to transfer to each of them from a parish register the information contained in a single entry of baptism, marriage, or burial. Once transferred to slips the information relating to a single family can be articulated and transferred in turn to an FRF. Two slips are made out for each marriage, because the bride and groom will have different surnames before marriage and it is convenient to be able to manoeuvre the information relating to the marriage separately for the two individuals concerned.

Nothing needs to be said about most of the information which is to be found on an FRF, but, in order to illustrate the way in which distinctions can be made between information of differing degrees of precision, it may be of interest to describe briefly the nature of a system of date weights which was extensively employed in the course of each reconstitution. The weights were designed to indicate increasing imprecision, so that, for example, a weight of 104 (shown by adding 104 to a particular date) indicates less possible inaccuracy than a weight of 112.