Knowing who provided information on a record helps us to determine the perceived reliability fo that information. But determining who the informant really was can sometimes be difficult. Aside from the 1940 US census, no informant is listed on any US census record. Did the head of household provide the information? Did their spouse? Did an older child provide it? Was it all provided by the same person? It can be impossible to tell. Even if an informant is listed on a death certiticate, they may not have provided each detail themselves and some death certificates have multiple informants (the doctor, the mortician, and a relative/friend/neighbor/etc.). Early death certificates may only list the doctor as the informant and one has to surmise who really provided the non-death information […]
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