----- Original Message Follows -----
From: Paul Drake <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: When are internet documents considered
accurate?
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006 13:38:10 -0500
Good afternoon,
I am not a learned historian nor am I an expert genealogist.
I respectfully submit that Ronald Reagan once made a
statement that can apply to all facets of our lives,
including genealogy and history: "Trust, but verify."
Here are a few examples.
1.Using a magnifying glass you decipher the writing on an
original census record. Later you discover that the census
taker was semi-literate and his information is contradicted
by the family bible. Another source is needed for
corroboration, and even with that, we may never be sure.
2.Here's a personal favorite. A turn-of-the-century
biographical history book about West Virginians advises that
my gggg grandfather was "cupbearer to the king of England."
The history book reads like an official document, smells as
ancient as the old boy himself and speaks with
unequivocal authority. I could spend the rest of my life
trying to verify the claim. No thank you. I use the tidbit
as an anecdote, not as evidence.
3. Somewhat less difficult than historical documentation is
collecting information on living people. That said, I can be
reasonably sure that any document found within 200 miles of
the mere mention of the name Ward Churchill is probably as
bogus as his tribal membership.
By the way, in the late 1990's, the Library of Virginia list
was, at times, a barroom brawl. I highly recommend the
archives for valuable information and belly laughs!
Bill Hobbs
gggg grandson of James CHRISTY, cupbearer to George III. Or
not.
> Ms. Pat; I suspect that this URL would not be acceptable,
> since it might so easily be altered to meet any
> surreptitious needs of the submitter.
>
> However, I would suggest that the citation listed within
> that web page - NEHGR, Vol. 18, Jan. 1864, pp. 82-86, p.
> 82 might be acceptable to some, if not most examiners.
>
> The question you must address is, "Who - WHO - do I need
> to satisfy?" Virtually every organization has examiners
> who accept or reject evidence submitted based upon their
> own range of experience, the rules of that society/group,
> and what they had for breakfast that morning.
>
> Whether or not your submission of material must satisfy
> yourself, your cousins, such as the S.A.R. or D.A.R., the
> Founders and Patriots, your family society, a publisher,
> or whoever, depends upon that person or organization only.
> There are NO rules that may be written, no matter what
> words might be selected, that will meet the requirements
> of ALL such groups.
>
> When I have a problem wherein I must submit my
> evidence/sources to a stranger, I phone or go talk to
> him/her in order that I know what THOSE people demand.
> Fortunately, most examiners of genealogical evidence have
> now abandoned the meaningless words "preponderance of
> evidence", and have done so in favor of "clear and
> convincing".
>
> Still though, whether or not your evidence is clear and
> convincing to others depends, not upon YOU, but upon them
> in keeping with THEIR rules (and breakfast).
>
> I might add that as Past Registrar of TN S.A.R. for three
> terms, I would accept the NEHGS article as quite weighty
> evidence, presuming it was written some considerable
> number of years in the past, and also presuming that the
> original materials are not now available.
>
>
>
> Genealogy without documentation is nothing.
> Paul Drake JD
> Genealogist & Author
> <www.DrakesBooks.com>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Patricia
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 1:13 PM
> Subject: [VA-ROOTS] When are internet documents
> considered accurate?
>
>
> I was wondering about this a few days ago. When a
> document is transcribed
> and posted on the internet, is it usually considered
> authentic enough to be
> counted as "proper documentation"?
> As a "for instance":
>
>
>
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/county/hampden/spfld/records/vr.html
>
> As long as I make sure there are several other means of
> documenting dates,
> etc, would you trust apage like this? Or do most of you
> prefer photocopies
> of the actual record?
>
> Pat in Montana
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see
> the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.5/301 - Release
> Date: 4/4/2006
>
>
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------
> I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private
> users. It has removed 1911 spam emails to date.
> Paying users do not have this message in their emails.
> Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now!
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see
> the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
|
