There are 56,591 individuals, 22,412 families, and 7,422 media objects in my project database.  I can vouch for all of the data that I have personally researched.  It is all cited and has sureties assigned that indicate the value and veracity of the data.  Anything that is not cited has been passed down to me and in some instances are not even related to individuals in the family tree.  I believe that you will find the contents of my research well enough documented, and tie in even the most obscure branches of the family.  Of course, there is a quid pro quo.  I expect you to add to your branch of the family tree and improve the overall research through first hand accounts.  Citations are a must and there is a website at: www.easybib.com that will help you develop acceptable citations.  Dive-in and discover your roots.

DNA is yet another tool for the genealogist that helps to prove or disprove a persons genealogical assumptions.  However, it is not a substitute for good research supported by documentation and citations.

The Encyclopedia
I have taken the many facts and events that I have discovered in my research and started writing our shared history.  I believe the various volumes in the Encyclopedia make for easier reading, especially for my generation or those that prefer the written word over a collection of facts.  The Encyclopedia will make an interesting and lasting gift for those people that would like to know the origin of their roots, and as new volumes are introduced, a greater understanding of your place in the family tree.  In addition, the books are keyed to the content on the website so that you may look at the raw data that forms the basis of each volume, plus view the sources of the information, photographs, and interactive trees.  I hope you enjoy the books should you decide to purchase them.

Acknowledgements
I will take this opportunity to thank the many people who provided branches of their family tree over the past 30 years. They provided the framework on which to build, what I believe, is the largest and best researched family tree of anyone doing similar work within our family.  I specifically want to thank my wife who has been a pillar of patience while I carried out my many hours of research. She was, in a phrase, a “genealogical widow.” I would also like to thank my eldest son, Dr. Jason Lacharite, who proofread many of the narratives that appear on this website.

Security

I have implement "SSL" so that if you decide to add or amend information within the website the information that travels between your computer and my website is encrypted, and vice-versa.  There are a plethora of websites that use this technology and it will soon become the standard for all websites.

Names

It is important to say a few words about the names you will find in this database. As may be appreciated, ignorance was widespread up to about 1900. Most of the factual records came from church registers and quite often names were spelled phonetically. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find the same name spelled differently within a single record and it was very likely that you would find the same name spelled differently from parish to parish. To further complicate matters, many names contained the “dit or dite” connector which had the connotation “also known as.”  For example, Jean Lampron dit Desfossés might be recorded as Jean Lampron, Jean Lamprond, Jean Lamphrond, Jean Lampron dit Desfossés, Jean Desfossés, or possibly even Jean Baptiste Lampron and so on. In my research I have done extensive fact checking to ensure the details of an individual are consistent with the dates and places of any events related to that individual.  Furthermore, it is important to note that I always record the name that is found in the baptismal record as the primary name. Any aliases that I find are recorded after the name in the form they are written. However, all names can be normalized and in this respect I have used Lampron, Lacharité, and Desfossés as the normalized values extensively.  In the interest of accuracy, I have output event place names in full when required. It does not make for very exciting reading but I feel it is more important to focus on substance rather than grammatical style. I leave it to the recipient to reproduce their own prose as and when required.

Conclusion

Finally, the recording of genealogical events is a living thing. All of the data contained in my website is open to individual interpretation and subject to change as new facts and documents are found, analyzed and added to the body of data that makes up a family genealogy. I know, for example, that you will be able to add many more details to your immediate family tree and I encourage you to do that as soon as possible - before people pass away and the details are lost. Add photographs, biographies and the like to “spruce-up” your branch of the family tree and leave a detailed and lasting legacy to your descendants. The best part is that you can do all that on this website to improve the overall quality of the Encyclopedia and provide a central repository for future researchers.