Q.

Does the CD really contain maps for ALL surnames and forenames?

A.

Yes, if the name appears anywhere on the 1881 census, then it appears in Surname Atlas, even names with a frequency of one individual. All spelling variants are included, and they can be mapped either separately or grouped with other spellings.

Q.

Are the maps based on heads of household only, or all individuals?

A.

All individuals.

Q.

And is it places of residence, or birthplace?

A.

Places of residence only.

Q.

Why isn't Ireland included?

A.

Because unfortunately the 1861-91 censuses for the whole of Ireland were pulped by order of the Government in 1916. After this, most of the surviving census returns (1821-51) were destroyed in the 1922 Four Courts (Dublin) fire. The earliest complete surviving census for Ireland is therefore 1901.

Q.

As well as counties, I see you can also map names by district. What districts are used?

A.

'District' data for England & Wales are grouped by Registration District / Poor Law Union. These areas generally contain between 5 and 20 (civil) parishes. For Scotland, no suitable sub-county units existed at the time of the 1881 census - its registration districts were much smaller than their English & Welsh counterparts. Therefore Surname Atlas uses the areas of local authorities as created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (and amended by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947), which are more comparable in size to English registration districts.

Q.

Can I use the program to map other data?

A.

No. It's a 'read only' program. If you want to map your own data, you need GenMap UK.

Q.

Can I run the program from my hard disk?

A.

No, it's designed to run only from the CD. The advantage is that it doesn't require installing.

Q.

Can I create maps for my website?

A.

Yes, using the program you can export via the Windows clipboard and paste into a graphics program like PaintShop or PhotoShop. Then save in GIF file format (the map images contain only a few colours, so this format is generally more suitable than JPG).

Q.

What about embedding maps into a written document like a family history narrative?

A.

Yes, again you can do this by copying to the Windows clipboard, and then pasting into a program like MS Word. You can then re-size the image and move it around the page, integrating it with your text.

Q.

I have problems with printing, are there any workarounds?

A.

Instead of using the built-in printing facility, try exporting via the Windows clipboard then pasting into a program like MS Word. You can increase the size of the exported bitmap up to 1000x1000 pixels, by which you can achieve quite reasonable quality.

Q.

Can I print to Adobe Acrobat?

A.

Yes, if you have the full Acrobat product. You may find that you need to switch off the 'coastal feathering' option.

Q.

Can I advertise or offer a surname lookup/printing service to others?

A.

No, this is precluded by the User Licence. The program is designed for personal use.

Q.

Does Surname Atlas run on an Apple Mac or on Linux?

A.

Not in native mode on either of these. It should, however, run with a PC emulator.