How to set up a Virginia Clark Name Study?

Question

The current Clark name study only focuses on Clark's from New England.

It is the only study that comes up when searching for Clark: https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Clark

I am working on my Clarks, which all originate from Virginia, back to the 1600s and they do not fit into this existing study.

Since this is a common surname, how do we set up and organize another Clark name study for Virginia and then make both easy to find via categories, the Clark name search, etc.?

Thanks!

Comments

There’s an Argyll Clark Category. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Argyll%2C_Clark_Name_Study

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I think William Foster organizes name studies for Virginia. You could probably set up a separate free space for Clark, Clarke and specify VA. (When I set up Mitchell I could choose up to 3 variant spellings.) Personally I find the free space pages difficult to access, so I keep the web address noted. Have only had 2 comments on G2G. Good Luck!

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Thanks Sherrie, but I think the Clark Name Study needs to be a common and shared study for all Clarks. Or, for there to be multiple Clark name studies and they are all linked to from the surname page.

https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/clark

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If it is a true one name study, then it should also embrace the Clarke variation, and encompass places other than just the United States.

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Clarke and Clearke are both variants on the page and it's open to anyone/anywhere to add research pages.

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I had created a different Clark Name Study a few years ago that was all encompassing and spelled out the name variations, origins and much more. Unfortunately, someone decided to delete it. I'm assuming because there was a Clark Name Study already even though it was only for New England. It wasn't communicated to me, so I really have no idea what the thinking was behind that at the time

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I thought I posted a reply but don't see it. Yes, Clarkand variant spellings should be ONS. Perhaps designate areas within so that others can add specific area of interest.

I do not have Clark as surname, but some years back Lee Johnson and I were managing FT's Clark y results, in addition to our Johnson project, on behalf of a dear friend who passed and had asked us to manage.

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I'm related to the Virginia Clarks also...have done a lot of research...from England to Barbados to the Tidewaters of Virginia.....I would love to be able to share the information.

Answer 1

Hi Allison,

What I did with the Kirkland ONS was set up 'teams' for the different areas.  My interest was in the Kirklands in the U.S. Southern Colonies, but others were interested in Scottish Kirklands.  You can view the Kirkland ONS here, and page down on it to see the links to the space pages created for the two groups.

It looks like you just need to get in touch with Christine Clark, who is leading the Clark ONS and ask her about setting up a 'research page' (what I call a 'team' on the Kirkland ONS).

Hope that helps, Darlene

Comments

I just replied to Nathalie below, then saw your response. So is this the correct direction from the ONS project?

The guide mentions common names, like Clark, but doesn't offer guidance on how to handle the situation.

I wanted to get direction before contacting Christine if that was the way to go.

Thanks!

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Yes, that's what One Name Studies are for.  You have the name, and then you can have different focus groups within the ONS.

Answer 2

Check out these pages One Name Studies Project  and One Place Studies Project

I don't know what the difference on the pages are, other than the 2nd one seems to have information about 'setting it up'

Comments

The difference is that they are two completely different projects! :)

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Silly me! I just realized it was one name and one place!

Answer 3

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Virginia%2C_Clark_Name_Study You can assign that category, even breaking it down to counties, if you like.

Just add your reseach to the main page (which I recently edited) in the Research Pages section, add categories and the sticker to your profiles, and research away!

Comments

Natalie, thanks for setting up a category, but I know how to do that. :)

I need to set up a One Name Study for Clark's in Virginia that is linked from the Clark genealogy page, like the current study. Or, the Clark Name Study needs to be shared and have sub-projects.

I guess my question is, which is the right way to move forward AND if it's a second Clark Name Study, then there is work to do to appropriate name each study and link them from the genealogy page and any else involved in having two name studies for the same surname, but different locations.

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When Steve Harris and I assumed leadership of ONS, we revamped it slightly to make it more open to collaboration. If you want to study Clarks in Virginia, you are welcome to do that and link it from the main Clark Name Study as part of the overall study. The main study links from the genealogy page, and, as far as I know, only one of them gets redirected from that page. This is why the "main" name study page is really more of a hub page for all to list their research. Darlene calls it "teams" but it needed be that if it doesn't work for you or the specific name study. Just create the free-space page to contain your research, add the [[Category:Clark Name Study]] to the page and link to the [[Space:Clark Name Study]].  On the Clark Name Study page in the Research Page section, link to your page (if it's going to be [[Space:Clarks of Virginia]] or whatever name you choose, just add that next to one of the asterisks in that section.)

Here is an example:https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Volcik_Name_Study 

and another:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Durbin_Name_Study

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Great, thanks Nathalie!

I'm going to contact Christine and see if we can collaborate on setting up the current "Clark Name Study" as a hub and link to "teams" or "sub-projects" or whatever we call the for different regions.