Bunker Family Association genealogist Bette Bunker Richards recently sent an e-mail message to our Bunker mailing list on Rootsweb that I thought was worth posting to the website:
I keep several databases for the BFA. One is old and is not regularly updated except for the unconnected Bunkers in it. These are Bunkers who have not been connected to the two English branches that we know about, Devon and Bedfordshire. In this database there are many duplicates and some old records for the Devon and Beds Bunkers. There are more than 34,000 people entered in that database.
The Devon database, which includes the descendants of James of New Hampshire and the Modbury Bunkers, and anyone other family whose DNA indicates they are related to this branch, contains 17,200 people. This is up to date and has few, if any, duplicates.
The Beds database which includes all of Roger of Tingrith’s descendants that we know about including the Nantucket and Charleston American Bunkers and those who match with the DNA, includes 7,800 people.
Our UK database has people that we cannot connect to the Beds and Devon Bunkers and is up to date with 2,900 records.
When someone asks me about an ancestor, I search all the databases. I am searching through about 62,000 people. Some people have more than one name so I am looking at about 80,000 names when I search for someone’s ancestors.
We use The Master Genealogist program and it is good but we still have to sort through about 1,000 George Bunkers, 800 William Bunkers, 700 Joseph Bunkers, 1,000 Elizabeth Bunkers and 1,000 Mary Bunkers. Can you imagine doing that on paper? Aren’t we lucky that we have computers?
This is why it is so important that you give me all the information you have when you ask questions, even if it is only a guess. In addition to our own databases, I search through several online ones to try to find your ancestors and up date all the information I can find. It is also why we ask that you share the information that you have. Certainly, we have more information about Bunkers than anyone else in the world, but every day I learn something new. And I really do appreciate your help.