When you find a relative in a census, do at least the following: make certain you are looking at the actual enumeration and not a transcription or an index; make certain you know what all the headings stand for; make certain you have the entire entry–some are split over multiple pages; know whether the census was taken on one or multiple pages for each entry–some are both on the left and right hand page; look at adjacent households for a few pages before and afterwards; compare the handwriting of other entries to make certain you transcribe as accurately as possible; make certain you know the census year, state, county, and other political/address information contained in the enumeration; make certain you have the page number and indicate where the […]
When a child gives information on their parent, it comes from second hand knowledge. It also could be given decades after the event took place. This information can be incorrect, but keep in mind the child did not witness parental birth information first hand. Even erroneous places should not be ignored however as there may be a reason for the wrong place of birth. Children of one ancestor always said she was born in Illinois, which was correct. Except for one record which said she was born in Ohio. Years later, I learned the parents met in Ohio, married there and immediately moved. Ohio was wrong, but it was a clue.
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