This search form searches fields in the PPI (Persons and Places Index) in different kinds of ways. Except for Any Data, which returns just the ID in the PPI and the Report Number, and Select Distinct Values, which is described below, all the searches return a truncated version of the index entry with the ID, the report number, the surname, the given name, and any field that might contain the data sought, in parentheses. The ID number and the report number are linked, respectively, to the index and the report. (Some patience is necessary with the former; there are many anchors to look through.) The searches are in string form; Boolean searching is not implemented.

These search engines differ from the General Search, which searches the fields that appear in the reports. The Participants lists in the reports use the PPI, but they do not use everything that is in it, most notably the notes. More possible spellings of names and descriptions of persons are given in the PPI than in the Pariticipants lists, which tend to be confined to those that appear associated with a particular person in the underlying documents.

Any Data. This search allows you to search for any row in a named field that contains any data, i.e., is not blank or NULL. Hence what you need to do is enter the abbreviated name of the field in the box below. All the rows have an ID number, a surname (SN) (___ if it is blank), a given name (XN) (___ if it is blank), and, except in the case of cross-references, a report number (RepNo). Additional substantive fields include: prefix (Pfx) (titles of respect that occur at the beginning of a person’s name), ‘infx’ (Infx) (a title of respect that can occur either at the beginning or at the end of a name, such as ‘lord’), alternative surname (AltSN) (particularly common with women, where we have given, where known, the maiden names of married women and the surnames of former husbands of women who married more than once), alternative given name (AltXN), suffix (Sfx) (the standard English ones such as ‘junior’ or ‘the younger’), identifying suffix (Sfx1) (suffixes, such as (1) and (2), which we have added to distinguish two people with the same given and surnames), role in case (Role) (we have been sparing of these, a’nts and a’ees, being the only ones regularly indentified as such, with occasional mention of judicial officers or referees), relationship (Relationship) (anything that connects a person to others in the case is listed here: relationships by blood or marriage as well as professional or semi-professional relationships, such as administrator or attorney), addition (Addn), occupation (Occpn) (we have tried to distinguish the classical English additions, spinster, esquire, etc., from what we have reason to believe was the person’s occupation, though a number of latter, e.g., merchant, fishmonger, might count as an addition; slaves are included as an addition as are participants who are described as not an English subject), status (Status) (confined to those persons who are described as deceased at the time of the case, or who may be presumed to be deceased), office (Ofc) (includes judicial officers, as well as administrators), institution (Inst) (the name of the institution in which the person held his office), place (Place) (a place-name, where a person or institution is defined to place), additional place (Place2) (where more than one place is given for identifying purposes), naval occupation (NavOccpn) (used where a specific naval position, such as master or owner, is given; mariners are found under Occpn), vessel (Vessel) (where the person is identified to a named vessel).

Select and Count Distinct Values. This search returns a list of the disinct values in any named field. The return is ordered by the number of times that that the value occurs (including blank and NULL values) in descending order by the number of times that the value occurs. The first item in the return counts the number of distinct values (as opposed to the number of times that they occur). Enter the abbreviated name of the field in the box below.

Surnames. This search allows you to search for surnames in any field that is likely to contain them.

Given or Christian Name. This search allows you to search for given or Christian names in any field that is likely to contain them. It is particularly useful for searching for people who have unusual given names and where the spelling of the surname is erratic.

Places. This search allows you to search for place-names in any field that that is likely to contain them.

Additions and Occupations (including titles of honor and nobility). This search allows you to search for additions and occupations in any field that that is likely to contain them, including the prefix and ‘infx’ fields where a number of occupational and noble titles are found. If you get a hit on a naval occupation, the engine will also return the name of the vessel with which the person was associated, but searching for names of vessels is best done with the General Search, which searches the vessels table.

Offices and Institutions. This search allows you to search for offices and institutions in any field that that is likely to contain them, including the prefix field where a number of office titles are found.

Reationships. This search allows you to search any string in the Relationships field. It is particularly useful for searching for particular professional or semi-professional relationships, such as attorneys, executors, administrators, or guardians.