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From:
Subject: Birthplace Conjecture
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 09:38:36 EST


Good morning, Alvie,
I often happen upon this type of a situation. I use this line of thought
to resolve, or try to resolve, the multiplicity of birthplaces.
I begin by assuming that the woman/man in question is the individual
providing the information for the marriage record and for those census
enumerations which occur in their early to middle married years. But, as he or she gets
on in age, moves about, lives off and on with children, it becomes more
probable the wrong place of birth could be given to the census enumerator,
especially if he or she may not be the one providing the information.
Family members got just as confused then as today <g> and someone could
have assumed she was born in Connecticut if they remembered hearing that is
where her parents were born, etc., etc. In your situation his place of birth was
unusual enough to be remembered, but if she had family in Mass., Conn,, and
N.Y. - and that could be likely - confusion about her place of birth could
occur as the years go by.
And then there is always the problem of the southern and northern
boundaries of Mass. which did shift about. <g> I would begin in Massachusetts - do
you have a town?
Good luck.
Joan Hunter, whose daughter indicated on her marriage license that I had
been born in New Hampshire and to the best of my knowledge I had not ever
been in the state. <g>

Joan A. Hunter, MLS, Certified Genealogist
MASSACHUSETTS GENEALOGY, specializing in Franklin, Hampden & Hampshire
Counties
Member Association of Professional Genealogists http://www.apgen.org
CG is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists used
under license after periodic evaluations by the Board
http://www.bctgcertification.org


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