| I have put nothing on this website that I
know is false. That being said, I cannot guarantee that everything is necessarily
correct either. I have tried to make it clear when I am talking about facts and when I am
talking about an educated guess that is very likely true. In the most extreme case, I will
also include stories that are likely a mixture of fact and legend because they are fun and
I would like to believe they are true. But I will make it clear when I am doing so. Much is made
in genealogy about sources. Purists insist that only the "proven facts" can be
published. I think this is misleading and more importantly, takes all the fun out of the
search. It is also inconsistent with the way the genealogical research is done in the real
world.
The "holy grail" of genealogy is supposed to be primary sources such as birth
certificates and marriage certificates where a living person is available to record the
necessary information. These are supposedly the most accurate. After that comes, secondary
sources such as death certificates which, while exceptionally rich in family history, are
tainted by the lack of a living respondent. My experience is common with other
researchers. Time and time again I have found both primary and secondary sources that are
clearly wrong……people make mistakes, people don’t know, people sometimes
lie. For example, I have one interesting ancestor who never seemed to age more than
5 or 6 years between every census despite the fact that they were taken every ten years.
The experts tell you when you first begin your family research to go find the oldest
living members of your family and pick their brains for what they know. Most people know
who their grandparents are and in general are good for about 100 years worth of
information. Having collected the family lore, we are cautioned that somewhere around half
of what we are told will be wrong. This should not be surprising. Some folks
remember it wrong, some were told it wrong by someone else or simply the facts have been
blurred over the years. Someone who tells you that, for example, he is descended from
Robert E. Lee is more likely to have had an ancestor who was standing by the road one day
when Robert E. Lee rode by. The story gets "enhanced" as the years pass.
Here’s an interesting fact: There are no descendents of Abraham Lincoln…his only
son who lived to be an adult had two children but neither married or had children of their
own before they died as senior citizens.
Finally, with regards to Privacy and this website. I have intentionally not listed
information about people whom are still alive. If you submit information to be added
to this website, please exclude information about living persons.
Here is the
fine print. This is my website. It is intended to be fun and to bring
happiness to me and others. You are welcome here. You are welcome to copy
anything here that you like as long as it is for you or other non-commercial uses.
What is here represents the work of many researchers, not just me. I am not selling
anything. You may not take this data and sell it to others. That should be
clear enough. |