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Archiver > TMG > 2000-01 > 0946916999


From: bob gillis <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Source Surety Values
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 11:29:59 -0500


Lee Hoffman/KY wrote:
snip

> but even so there is the danger of the person creating the record and
> the person transcribing the record making a mistake. For this reason, I
> would never assign more than a "2" to data from "published cemetery listing".
> snip

I cannot see reducing the surety of a source because the person who
recorded the information or transcribed the information "may have made a
mistake". Then we would never have a 3 from any source. The chances of
the person entering the information into a TMG data base are just as
likely as the person making the transcription.

I have used the published Essex County MA Vital Records to 1850 and I
generally assign a 3 to the information in these volumes from town,
court or church records. For information from a "Private Record" I do
assign a lower value. I have not found an error in transcribing in
these volumes so I consider them very reliable.

In the original town records there are errors as shown by later
corrections. But we don't downgrade all the records because of a few
errors.

While the information recorded in a cemetery transcription can have a
lower surety, published transcriptions are generally reliable. I know
Elizabeth Shown Mills disagrees with this.

bob gillis


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