This World War I draft card for Malerbi Alighiero indicated he was born in 1916. It’s clearly an error on the part of the registrant. It’s easy for a clerk (or anyone else) to make an error such as this. Transcribe the document as written and use the word “sic” to indicate that there is clearly an error: The card for Alighiero indicated he was born in 1916[sic] That way someone knows you did not make a transcription error. And if you think a World War I draft registrant could have been born in 1916, a review of world history is in order.
Every record and finding aid has limitations. When using a source or a finding aid, it can be easy to get caught up in what it tells us and how it helps us. But it is to our advantage to not just focus on the pros of what we are using. We should think about the “cons” of that material as well. How can it be wrong? Could it provide biased information? Could it be incomplete? And so on. Being aware of the “cons” does not mean that we ignore the “pros.” But if we are only aware of the ways a record can be right or can help us we may get “kicked in the genealogical rear end” by the negatives we are not considering.
When was the last time you read a genealogical reference book or other item to increase your knowledge and understanding of genealogical research methods and sources? Blogs and other materials can be helpful, but sometimes it’s nice just to have a book. I purchased a copy of the new edition of Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, There are other good books out there, but I only mention ones with which I have actual experience and which I have actually purchased and used. Sometimes just a re-reading of something I’ve read before gets me to thinking. Sometimes one can get used library editions on Amazon (see links below) Ebay or for low-cost–other times not so much. State Census Records by Ann S. Lainhart Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research, 5th edition, edited […]
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