Genealogy Clips #29 | Sources to Reach a Reasonable Conclusion in Your Genealogy Research

First, you must consider the reliability of the information you’re examining. Is it a primary source, a secondary source, an original or derivative document, and does it provide direct or indirect evidence of the event or relationship you are looking to prove? While primary and original sources that provide direct evidence are usually considered the most reliable sources, this is not always the case.

Take into consideration who provided the information. Was it a minister who married a couple, on a record made at the time of their marriage? Or was it written down in the family Bible years after the fact, maybe by a child or grandchild of the married couple you are studying? If it was written down by someone who wasn’t there, it can be subject to error. Human memory is fallible, and even if the grandparents told the grandchildren when and where they were married, that information may have been forgotten or corrupted in their memory by the time they get around to writing it down in the family Bible or some other family record.

The same thing goes for death certificates. While the date of death is pretty reliable, because it was recorded by the attending doctor or other person present at the time a person died, other information on the certificate may not be as reliable. For example, the descendent’s birth date and place, and the names of their parents may not be correct, as this information is provided by someone who was likely not present at their birth (unless the descendent was a child) and may or may not have known the descendent’s parents.

Take a look at the name of the informant on the death certificate and try to determine their relationship to the descendent. Are they related closely, distantly, or not at all? Does the information they provided conflict with other information you have? If so, look at the origins of your other information. Does your additional information have more reliable sources? If so, you may want to put more weight on those sources regarding the birth date and the names of the parents than the information provided on the death certificate. Comparing information like this and examining its origin and reliability is key to establishing a reasonable conclusion in genealogy.

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