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Archiver > TMG > 2002-06 > 1023127927


From: "Cliff Soderback" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Place of death
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 11:12:14 -0700
References: <Pine.WNT.4.33.0206022239560.1108-100000@zed>


> snip
>
> > To me, it is a waste of time to source something that no one can
> > verify, in legal terms it is hearsay.
>
> This makes no real sense to me. Should she forget that she found any
> indication of her grandmother's birth data? Or record it but make no note
> of where she found it?
>
> Genealogical research is more analogous to an investigation than a trial.
> Criminal investigators record hearsay evidence all of the time...because
> it may provide clues (or merely insights) that lead to other, better,
> evidence that can then be used in a trial.
>
> Frank Peters
> Starkville, Mississippi
>
>

From my past experience of spending countless hours trying to confirm
bogus facts that exist in family records I think I have learned the hard
way.
Just because "Aunt Martha"(fictitous name) says so it doesn't make it true.
In one case a family member insisted they were born in one place and several
family members also insisted the same was true, well when I finally found
the birth
certificate and census records, I queried them as to where they got the
information
and was told well, Aunt Martha told them. This fiction went on for over 50
years.

Many times the information is very accurate and other times it is pure
fiction(rather
some one just made it up). If I have confirmed the fact I say so, otherwise
the
information is fiction. I have found that census records are very valuable
in finding
facts(although they contain many errors), especially as to place of
residence, which
will lead to birth records and place of burial. I can't remember how many
times I found
that this information was in conflict with obituaries and the legendary Aunt
Martha.

I think the lesson is that if you have good factual information you are
very likely
to find the people you are looking for otherwise you are on a Wild Goose
Chase
so to speak.

Cliff Soderback



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