From Index to Image: Finding an Original Source for Benjamin Horton Moore’s Full Name

Initials can be one of the most stubborn obstacles in genealogical research. The first generation of my Kinship Determination Project (KDP) for certification is John Christian Harris and Malissa Welch. One of their daughters, Martha Rosetta Harris, married Benjamin Horton Moore (1856–1938). I planned to include his full name as Martha’s spouse in the couple’s child list. The trouble was that every source I found recorded him as either B. H. Moore or Ben H. Moore.

His Find a Grave memorial gave his full name, but the headstone pictured on the memorial reads only “B. H. Moore.” Because the headstone itself didn’t support the full name, I wasn’t comfortable citing the memorial, an authored source, as my evidence.

His full name also appeared in two index entries attached to his FamilySearch profile, both from the collection “Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840–1981.” Each named Benjamin Horton Moore as the father of John Curtis Moore. That was a promising lead, but an index is a derivative source. For my KDP, I needed to cite the original record. Here’s how I tracked it down.

Note: Claude, an AI Assistant, helped draft this blog post from my research notes.

Why the Original Record Matters

Indexes are excellent finding aids, but they are one step removed from the record. Indexers can misread handwriting, skip fields, or leave out details that change our interpretation. The Genealogy Standards teach us to prefer original records, and images of them, over derivatives whenever they are available. I like to think of an index as the signpost pointing to the original source.

Step-by-Step: Finding the Image Behind the Index

1. Check for an image. The index entry showed a blurred thumbnail with a “Check Image Availability” button. Clicking it opened the digitized microfilm the index was created from: Film # 007614719, delayed birth certificates from Milam County, Texas.

2. Assess the film. The film contained 1,801 images, and there was no index at the beginning. The index entry didn’t link to a specific image, either. I could have browsed image by image, but that wasn’t an efficient option.

3. Compare every version of the index entry. Two versions of the record were attached to Benjamin’s profile, so I opened each one and reviewed the Document Information section. There’s a dropdown arrow next to Document Information that you have to click, or you might mis sit! I was hoping one of the indexed entries would identify the image number. One version had no page reference. The other listed the Source Details as “item 1 p 181.”

4. Interpret the clue. When I looked at the certificates on the film, I realized the “page” was actually the certificate number. Each certificate had a number handwritten in the upper right corner, and the images were arranged in numerical order.

5. Jump straight to the certificate. I typed a number near 181 into the image number box in the upper left corner of the viewer, then adjusted from there. Certificate 181 turned out to be image 186. Image numbers rarely line up exactly with record numbers, so check the number on the record you land on and move forward or back as needed. No lengthy browsing required!

6. Attach and cite the image. Once you’ve found the image, attach it to the person’s profile. Record a full citation in your research log so you won’t have to search for it again.

What the Certificate Reveals

The record is a delayed certificate of birth for John Curtis Moore, created in 1943. John was born 28 February 1884 in Precinct #5, Milam County, Texas. The certificate names his father as Benjamin Horton Moore, a 28-year-old white farmer born in Texas. His mother is listed as Martha Rosetta Harrison, age 18, born in Milam County. John was her first child.

Harrison or Harris? Martha’s maiden name was typed as Harrison rather than Harris. Perhaps John Curtis Moore told the clerk his mother’s surname was Harrison by mistake, or the clerk simply made a typing error. Her given names and her husband’s name point to Martha Rosetta Harris.

Several details show the certificate was created long after the birth:

• Texas didn’t begin statewide birth registration until 1903, so no certificate would have been filed in 1884.
• The form reports that 13 of the mother’s children were living. That would be impossible in 1884 for a woman having her first child, but it makes sense in 1943.
• Benjamin had died in 1938, so Martha was a widow of about 77 when the certificate was created.

 

Martha herself appears to have signed the certificate in a shaky hand as “Mrs. B H Moore” of Burneyville, Oklahoma. With that signature, she certified that John was born alive at 6 AM on the date stated. Further down, she is named in Affidavit A, sworn in Love County, Oklahoma, deposing that the facts stated in the foregoing birth certificate were correct.

The clerk may have gathered some details from John, so it’s hard to say exactly who supplied each piece of information. However, Martha signed the certificate and swore to its accuracy. As Benjamin’s widow, she had firsthand knowledge of his name. Her affidavit therefore supports his full name as primary information and direct evidence. The father’s reported age of 28 also correlates with his estimated birth year of 1856.

The error in her own maiden name is a good reminder that even a knowledgeable informant can overlook a typo. That’s why correlating the certificate with other sources remains so important.

Transcription

At the time I found this source, I only needed one citation from it for my KDP, so I didn’t transcribe the entire thing. I did notice that it provided the county of birth for Martha Rosetta Harris as Milam County, which was another piece of helpful evidence!

For this blog post, I uploaded the certificate to Gemini for a full transcription and here is the result:

Texas Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certificate of birth
181

1. Place of birth
State of Texas
County of Milam
City or precinct no. Precinct #5

2. Full name of child John Curtis Moore
3. Sex Male
4. Twin, triplet, other [Blank] 5. Number in order of birth [Blank] 6. Legitimate? yes
7. Date of birth Feb 28, 1884

Father
8. Full name Benjamin Horton Moore
9. Residence at time of this birth Milam County, Tex
10. Color or race White
11. Age at time of this birth 28 years
12. Birthplace (state or country) Texas
13a. Trade, profession or kind of work done Farmer
13b. Industry or business in which engaged Farming

Mother
14. Full maiden name Martha Rosetta Harrison
15. Residence at time of this birth Milam County, Texas
16. Color or race White
17. Age at time of this birth 18 years
18. Birthplace (state or country) Milam County, Tex
19a. Trade, profession or kind of work done Housewife
19b. Industry or business in which engaged housewife
20. Number of children born to this mother, including this birth 1st
21. Number of children born to this mother, and now living 12

I hereby certify to the birth of this child who was born alive at 6 am. on the date stated above.
22. Signature Mrs B H Moore
Address Burneyville, Okla.

Affidavit A
State of Texas Oklahoma
County of Love
Before me on this day appeared Martha Rosetta Moore known to me to be the person who signed the certificate attached hereto, who on oath deposes and says that the facts stated in the foregoing birth certificate of John Curtis Moore are true and correct to the best of her knowledge and belief, and that she was acquainted with the facts at the time of the event.
Signed: Mrs B H Moore
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 4th day of December 1942
My commission expires 2-20-45
Mary Martin McKinney, notary public in and for Love county, Okla.

Affidavit B
State of Texas Oklahoma
County of Love
Before me on this day appeared H. M. Worthen known to me to be the person who signed this affidavit, who on oath deposes and says that the facts stated in the foregoing birth certificate of John Curtis Moore are true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief, and that he is acquainted with the facts and that he is not related to the individual by blood or marriage.
Signed: H. M. Warthen
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 4th day of December 1942
My commission expires 2-20-45
Mary Martin McKinney, notary public in and for Love county, Okla.

State of Texas
County of Milam
The birth certificate of John Curtis Moore attached hereto, was submitted to this court, as provided for in H. B. no. 614, 46th leg., R. S. 1939.
It is the order of this court that this record be accepted by the state registrar for filing in the state Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Signed Jeff T. Kemp co. judge
Date January 27, 1943 of Milam county

(Vertical text along left margin): This certificate must be prepared and approved as required by the law printed on the reverse side