Right! Some final comments on the problem of unsubstantiated claims. First, when I started genealogy in 1979 chasing down unsubstantiated claims took up a lot of time that I could not easily spare. Beware of the wild goose chase! It can be very frustrating. Secondly, Ancestry does have value. I use it on a regular basis with the exception of most of the trees. Third, the very fact that Mary's aunts said unsubstantiated is important. They were well aware of the importance of documentation and seem to have provided some good clues. Fourth, clerks do make mistakes. I am currently working on the Southampton Project and have run into a few-- very few. Family histories, old biographies, prestigious older genealogy publications, etc. also have mistakes. The Southampton project is extremely valuable. It gives anyone with a computer access to wills, deeds, court orders, marriage records, etc. in Southampton County, Virginia. Lots of documentation! Lastley, those who simply compile and never try to document are missing some fun! I realize that quite a few people would consider hunting through old documents to be boring, but sometimes a deed or letter gives a glimpse into the daily activities of these people (in my case, none rich or famous, but interesting). I do not try to correct the errors that I see on Ancestry. I would rather spend my time digging through more old records. Right now, a number of trees on Ancestry have one of my ancestors married to his mother! If people contact me, I am happy to help. Otherwise, I ignore the situation. Making contact with another researcher like "moonlightgems" is something I hope for. Years ago, we helped each other. The comments and questions of another researcher are very useful in verifying or at least testing claims or hypotheses. My main objection is to trees with no support of any kind! Enough from me. Bonnie By the way, I am particularly interested in the Crumps of New Kent and surrounding counties, the Johnsons of Goochland County and the Fly/Flythe family of Isle of Wight County, Va. and Northampton, NC and the western states. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Madaline Preston" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 11:39 AM Subject: [VA-ROOTS] reliable sources > I'm sorry, no one...absolutely no one should be careless enough to post > data where there is a hundred or so years difference between the births of > the husband and wife. Don't we have some responsibility to each other and > to history? > Enough said. > M. Preston > > 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