From a while back…
We’ve made a list of some assumptions that genealogists make. Here are a few. We will add your suggestions to a longer list which we’ll post later.
- The county history was right.
- That my grandparents actually got married.
- That my grandma was my grandpa’s first wife.
- That my relative was an immigrant.
- That my relative was born in the United States.
- That the entire death certificate was right.
- That grandma had a tombstone.
- That my grandparents were buried next to each other.
- That no one in my family got divorced.
- That the old genealogy was right–I just haven’t found the proof yet.
- That my family was never in court.
- That my family never appeared in the newspaper.
Add your own thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
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10 Responses
The dates on the tombstone is always correct.
That all the family stories my grandma told me were true.
they told the truth on the cebsus and words used then have the same mening today.
That if your ancestors posted Banns those were always registered by the church
That if there is no record of the marriage the wife must be booted out of the tree as the wrong Sarah. :O
That the statement regarding the giving of a deed to property saying “for natural love and affection” is only to avoid taxes and not because he was a son-in-law.
My list also includes
That no one in your family told lies
The way the family name is spelt is the only way and the odd spelling are not our folks
That ‘our family’ never had a child out of wedlock…
That all our ancestors on my mother’s side were Catholic, & only married Catholic persons…
That all my adult ancestors from 1750 onward could read and write…
That my great-aunt’s ‘genealogy’ papers are correct because “she was there” & she “has all the papers”
I’m sure ‘that guy’ was my birth father.
That the census are correct
That other people’s posts on Ancestry are correct
When someone posts info online and you later find out that your research is their source :0)
That a family member was adopted from an agency instead of a well-kept secret that it was another family member’s child.