Lillian Drake Avery Research Card Collection – Key to Abbreviations

 

Lillian Drake Avery Research Card Collection – Key to Abbreviations

 

Lillian Drake Avery was a machine. A research machine. She put some serious horsepower into the indexing and cataloging of the OCPHS library and collection over a long number of years. We are to this day very grateful for her contributions to the society and to her efforts to record and preserve Oakland County’s history (and getting women the right to vote!)

She was also very active in a number of Oakland County’s organizations:

Mrs. Lillian Drake Avery was born November 22, 1856, at Farmington. She was graduated at the high school at Chelsea. For three years Miss Drake taught school at Farmington, until she married (October 22. 1879) Dr. A. H. Avery, a schoolmate at the Chelsea high school, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, medical department. In 1885, Dr. and Mrs. Avery moved to Pontiac, where Dr. Avery died in 1911, and where Mrs. Avery still resides. In 1892, Mrs. Avery became the first president of the History Class. This organization is now known as the Woman’s Literary Club. She was early associated with the work of the Chautauqua Circle and from 1887 to 1895. she was a member of the Ladles’ Library Board. When the General Richardson Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was formed, she was one of the charter members and served as vice-regent two years and as regent for the years 1902-1903. She has been Registrar of the chapter since 1905. The compilation of genealogical records of the Ingersoll family has occupied much of Mrs. Avery’s time for the last fifteen years. Another work in which she is also much interested is” the compilation of the records of the old families of Oakland county.

Source: “Michigan Historical Collections,” vol. xxxix, 1915, pg.436.

 

One of her legacies is a set of research cards prepared by her as she researched families, places, and events. Mrs. Avery of course abbreviated these records a great deal, and wasn’t always consistent.

Here is a key to the abbreviations we most commonly see in these cards:

b. = born bapt. = baptism or baptized
d. = died w. of = wife of
dau. of = daughter of bro. of = brother of
h. = husband nee = a women’s maiden name
m. = married m1. or m. 1 = first marriage
m2. or m. 2 or 2nd m. or m. 2nd = second marriage 3rd m. or m. 3rd = third marriage
consort = a partner or companion res. = resident of
relict = surviving the death of another, a widow or widower [sic] = can not interrupt handwritten information or error in information or error in spelling of name.
ult = last month, in the preceding month inst = current month, in the same month
14 yrs. 5 mos. 29 days = died at age of 14 years, 5 months, and 29 days 59.4.12 = 59 y. 4 m. 12 d. = died at the age of 59 years, 4 months, and 12 days
______ = missing information, i.e. “son of ____ Smith or d. ____ or d. February 26, 186_ at 50 yrs.” G.A.R. = member of the Grand Army of the Republic
P.R. Joseph A. Linabury = Personal Records of Joseph A. Linabury P.R. LDA = Personal Records of Lillian Drake Avery
P.R. Bible owned by G.C. Collins = Personal Records from Bible owned by G.C. Collins Oakland Co. Rec. = Oakland Co. Records = Oakland County Records
Soldier Monument = Located in Downtown Birmingham, a complete list of names on the Monument, See Oakland County History Book 1877 page 324 P.s.b. 4-16 or Pioneer s.b. 4-16 = Unknown
Co. R. 4-81 or C.R. 4-11 = Unknown