TMG-L Archives
Archiver > TMG > 2000-01 > 0946914121
From: <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Source Surety Values
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 10:42:01 EST
I am a 3 month user of TMG (but, like you, a long time genealogist). I find
I ignore the surety values EXCEPT for negative surety and occasionally 3s.
When I first began using TMG I tried to assign values but found them tough to
determine. I only felt comfortable assigning 3 to church baptism and marriage
records and some death records. Even these are suspect however when you know
that some priests in rural areas traveled over the countryside for weeks
performing sacraments and only entered the data into the church register upon
their return to the city (if they entered it at all!). In Newfoundland many
weeks might have passed between the baptism and the entry.
Negative sureties are of use later when you want the information in your
database but don't want it to affect my analysis. I don't know that 1s or 2s
would make much difference to my research. I find my opinions of my data
changes over time. I might be convinced of a certain date and then wake in
the middle of the night (all right, I'm a bit obsessed) with a sudden insight
changing my perception.
Amy in Duxbury, MA
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