Ladies & Gentlemen:
There are three types of accepted "proof."
1) Primary Sources
2) Secondary Sources
3) Circumstantial Sources
 
1) Primary Sources:     
            Vital Records (birth, marriage and death certificates) 
               Church records
               Bible records which provide relationships
               Marriage bonds and licenses
               Deeds
               Probate records, Guardianships or orphan’s court records
               Military or pension records
               Cemetery and morticians records (usually for deaths) 
Contemporary 
               Family letters and diaries (contemporary, means containing 
time of the Event)
 
    2) Secondary Sources:
 
               County or town histories
               Family Genealogies (published only)
               Federal or state census records
               Newspaper obituaries
               Newspaper marriage accounts
               Photos or photocopies of gravestone inscriptions (gs photo)
               Affidavits (depending on time period)
 
     3) Circumstantial Sources: 
               Circumstantial evidence is that which does not state any 
family 
               relationship, but leaves it to be inferred, or pieced 
together, in
               conjunction  with other bits of evidence.
    Best wishes,
    Ed Sherman (SC)

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