KYMCCREA-L Archives

From:
Subject: Primary Evidence
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 18:12:48 EST

BJ and all;

I don't know exactly what that "no copies" thing was about, as all lineage
societies and pioneer certification groups I'm aware of do accept copies of
original documents. If there is any question whatsoever, you would just have to
have a notary public or holder of the document certify it as a "true copy of
the original".

Unfortunately, although I do sympathize with your stand on the "paper trail"
question, there are generally some documents available to prove beyond a
doubt the names and dates in question.

It can be a pain. But it is necessary -- not just for your own records and
family research collection, but especially if you are trying to establish an
ancestor or yourself for historical connections (DAR, SCV, SUVCW, Colonial
DAmes, etc.)

The US census is a wonderful tool, but is generally not accepted as proof of
anything unless it is specifically stated on the enumeration. Take a look
at some of your census records. I believe up to 1880 it did not actually
specify what the relationship of members in the same household was. Many
people have assumed a young person in the household was the daughter or son of the
married couple, only to learn much later he or she was a niece, cousin or
younger sibling having the same surname.

And the usual mystery is caused by not really knowing who answered the
questions for the census taker. A child, a neighbor, the mother in law? They
may have given answers without really knowing, or may have just mixed up the
information with another part of the family.

I did some research for a friend who lived with her grandmother for years so
she would not be alone. In one census, she was not listed at all.
Apparently, the grandmother's residence info was given by a tenant, who did not
realize the grand-daughter was a permanent resident. A few blocks away, the
parents of the girl did not list her with them as they knew she had moved!

Because vital records are not available in some early years, most
organizations accept such verification as Bible entries, church and cemetery records and
even obituaries if added to other documentation.

It is really very easy in many cases to add a certain person to the ancestry
and then find out years down the line that you have "gone off" on the wrong
family branch.

Really depends on what kind of family "package" you intend to put together.
Some of us just get whatever we possibly can and hope someone will make the
decisions later based on what we have found. Others are extremely detail
oriented and never get around to expanding at all.

Hope I have helped in some way.

Ann Bergelt

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• Primary Evidence by "BJ. B." <>
  • Re: [KYMCCREA] Primary Evidence by marie perez <>

  • Primary Evidence by