Often when genealogists analyze records they look at information from the viewpoint of the person who provided it or from the viewpoint of someone trying to analyze that information for perceived reliability. But there is another perspective: that of the record creator or the clerk. Maybe they could not understand your ancestor. Maybe they did not care if the information was correct or not. Maybe they were trying to be as precise and particular as they could be. Maybe they were writing as neatly as they could. Maybe they had a stack of forms to complete, organize, etc. by the end of the day. Maybe they only got the job because of who they knew and not their ability. Or maybe your ancestor did not want to provide […]
I first read and transcribed the 1812 will of James Rampley in Harford County, Maryland, when I was sixteen years old. I don’t think I have looked at the entire will in over twenty-five years. Today I read the entire document. And there were at least five good clues that I missed in that early reading of the document because there were many things I didn’t know about research, the law, inheritance, and the family at that point in time. Do you have something that you’ve not read in ages? Could there be unused clues in that document?
Recent Comments