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Dealing with ambiguous records.

So, I'm sure that I'm not the only person who has hit a wall in their genealogy research at one point or another. Most of the time, a lack of record is what results in it, but what about when a record gives little to no useful information?

Also, has anyone ever run into a record that either displays false information? For instance, I found a death record from the early 1900s that referred to one of my relatives by a nickname, as well as reporting false information of the birthplace/parent's birthplace. It's almost as if whoever filled it out was too lazy to collect the CORRECT information. However, when it comes to early records mixed with online records, it is difficult to determine which record to believe.

I'm not even sure that anyone is going to read this, but if you do, please provide some input! Thank you.

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Comment by Carolyn Preston on July 29, 2009 at 2:58pm: My mother's death certificate has the wrong spelling of her mother's maiden name on it. I keep meaning to get that corrected. Or some genealogist in the future will be wondering how FLEMMING became HEMMING. It's just because they couldn't read my dad's writing :)

Comment by Unknown Ancestor on July 15, 2009 at 8:41pm: Informants at family events, especially deaths, are not accurate. It's also the reason there are "delayed birth certificates" and "corrected" birth and death records.

The census is especially risky when it comes to facts. Who wants to answers questions about military service, taxation, or naturalization? Or the person giving the answers is a neighbor and not a realtive at all. So in 1850, a man in Illinois is enumerated twice; age is 15 years apart and birthplace is 2 different states.

Evaulation of evidence will always be the sine qua non of genealogy!

Comment by Kitah on July 15, 2009 at 5:51pm: Hi ,

I know what ya mean!! I have run into the fact that family says one thing & records say another!! I even have a birth certificate that was in my grandmothers possession that has the wrong Mothers name on it ! Why they never checked into it or changed it I 'll never know!! I know she was the Mother!!

Dealing with ambiguous records.

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