Don’t “throw out” information that conflicts or appears to be in error. See if you can determine what might have caused the information to be incorrect. My great-grandmother was supposedly born in one of three towns in 1874. It turned out that each town was somewhere she had lived as a child before her family finally settled in a more permanent location. As always, transcribe the documents exactly as they are written and include your analysis of what’s wrong in a way that makes it clear that it’s separate from the actual document. And…remember that what you think is wrong today may end up being correct tomorrow when more information is located. Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you […]
Every dead person has to have an obituary. If you are dead, you must be in the Social Security Death Index. They have always charged to put obituaries in every newspaper. Delayed birth records were for out-of-wedlock births. These are just a few examples of incorrect statements I’ve encountered online. One can find just about anything on some message boards, Facebook groups, etc. Before sharing or reposting advice you found posted by someone you don’t know, check it out. And definitely check it out before you use it to reach any sort of research conclusion. “Brick walls” can result from following off-the-wall advice.
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