Posts in July 29, 2024

If you have a hunch of when an event in your ancestor’s life took place–say a year of birth or death–provide a reason for hunch when making a statement about it. Don’t just say “Hinrich Fecht was probably born in 1812.” Say “Based on his age in the 1850 census, Hinrich Fecht was probably born in 1812.” Uncertain statements can be turned into facts by other researchers. There’s no way to stop that. But including your reason for an imprecise statement reminds you of why you made it and tells others how you reached that conclusion as well. And if you have no reason for your “probably” statement about an ancestor…should you really be making it?