Is Every Statement the Same?

When you’ve got a document where your ancestor made several statements, consider how likely it was that he knew each statement. Chances are there are some facts he was more likely to know than others. In some cases, your ancestor might not have been entirely right or entirely wrong and the reality might have been somewhere in between. This is potentially the case with a census record or death certificate where the informant may be answering several questions at the same time.