From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Mon Jul 24 08:13:05 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k6OED5jb021521; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:13:05 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k6OED24J016768 for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:13:02 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k6OBYgFI014493 for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:34:42 -0400 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k6OBYgtD014492 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:34:42 -0400 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k6O9dsFI014011 for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 05:39:54 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k6OCI4p9023647 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 06:18:04 -0600 X-Envelope-From: justrootin@gmail.com Mon Jul 24 06:18:04 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k6OCI4jb023638 for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 06:18:04 -0600 Received: from wx-out-0102.google.com (wx-out-0102.google.com [66.249.82.193]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k6OCHwEq028843 for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 06:17:58 -0600 Received: by wx-out-0102.google.com with SMTP id s19so731965wxc for ; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 05:17:58 -0700 (PDT) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=beta; d=gmail.com; h=received:message-id:to:references:subject:date:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:x-priority:x-msmail-priority:x-mailer:x-mimeole:from; b=ptQd6VWXTGwf1iHBw5lCZ4wUjZKXNkWBRSfEg+H4DOekcU3Ii7MO/xdC7M5+UtMXfBJfYBnRVH4aK2fQxJigF2rdOh8U09QbmPC5OdCsADFrHnmXO+O8uyFceCsdcj32PE/xXJO9Z7axE52OornS4E+bhT8kzCECJMWVDNkDFXk= Received: by 10.70.84.16 with SMTP id h16mr4845931wxb; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 05:17:58 -0700 (PDT) Received: from SUZY ( [66.61.144.2]) by mx.gmail.com with ESMTP id h12sm6897995wxd.2006.07.24.05.17.29; Mon, 24 Jul 2006 05:17:33 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <000c01c6af1b$1c959260$02903d42@SUZY> To: "MScheffler" , References: <062b01c6aedb$5c079730$6501a8c0@m1070n> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] documentation/verification of records Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:17:08 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2869 From: Suzy McGrew Krol X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Hi Margaret. I would love a copy of your research guidelines. TIA, Suzy ===LIVE WELL==LAUGH OFTEN==LOVE MUCH=== ----- Original Message ----- From: "MScheffler" To: Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 12:40 AM Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] documentation/verification of records > Hi Sue, > > You ask some good questions. What you most want to prove in the > beginning are the CHILD TO PARENT links in your own direct line. You > start with the earliest generation that you know and PUSH BACK ONE > GENERATION AT A TIME. Sources that are most helpful are vital records, > birth, marriage, and death certificates, probate and will documents, > church records, census records to name a few. Family Bibles, diaries, > letters, and other things can also be used. Not as good as originals, but > some lineages in published genealogy books turn out to be quite accurate. > Of course, most of us cannot afford to purchase vital records for all the > collateral lines, so we may rely more on sources such as published > genealogies. Or we may find "cousins" who have purchased records we don't > have and will share. > > If you are joining the DAR or the Mayflower Society or other lineage > based society, the number and types of documentation are pretty strict. > For most of us, for ourselves, we may not be quite so strict in having > every document, but we need enough to be sure we have the correct parental > child links. If the dates, locations have minor variations, note these in > notes, and one can go back and address them later. But you can't push > back generation by generation UNLESS you have the relationship LINKS > accurate. Most of us who have been at this a few years, have had at least > one or more occurrences where we thought we were searching the correct > line, to find out we made a mistake and must back track. That is very > frustrating, so it is best to learn good research strategies early on. > > When searching through various records you will likely find some > conflicts that you need to resolve. Compare one source against another. > Generally records made close to the time of the event will be more > accurate than ones made 10 or 20 years later. > > If you have vital records that list the parents and they agree then you > may not have to spend as much time looking for indirect evidence, but if > primary sources disagree, you need to try to uncover many more clues to > arrive at a "preponderance of the evidence." Time is not the issue. The > right series of birth, marriages certificates may get us back several > generations rather quickly, then we may spend months to years for the next > one. > > The search is what makes this hobby so enjoyable. If one is really > stuck on one line, work on something else for awhile, then come back to > the dead end. You may look at it in a new perspective, and those old > notes that meant nothing earlier may well hold the most important of > clues. Volunteer to work on a project for someone else in a similar > location or with a similar surname. You may "stumble" on what you could > not find for yourself previously. > > Then when you have those names and dates on a pedigree chart you will > still need to do more work. What can you find out about your ancestors > lives that will make your work come alive. > > I wrote up some research guidelines for beginners to help people get > started. If anyone would like a copy by attachment, please let me know > and I will send them to you. > > Margaret Scheffler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "SUE ADAMS" > To: > Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 7:08 PM > Subject: [ROOTS-L] documentation/verification of records > > >> How many records and what type do you use to verify genealogy? I have >> several lines which go back several generations. I'm afraid to start >> searching at the ends, without verifying the original lines. As a newbie, >> I'm also not sure what to use as verification, beyond census records, or >> birth/death/marriage/probate records. If I were trying to verify one >> name, what steps would I go through? Would I search census in several >> years, then check vital records, or church records? What do I ask myself? >> (Does this record list the same amount of siblings, same parents, same >> country/county?) Country records for probate or land records? It seems >> like I could be tied up in verification for years, without pushing on >> into new territory. How do I balance new search and verification? Have a >> set amount of time for each? >> Any help or advice will be appreciated. >> >> Sue Adams >> adamss74@msn.com >> > >