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Archiver > GENMTD > 2006-08 > 1154471112


From: (J. Hugh Sullivan)
Subject: Re: META: Absence of Evidence
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 15:25:12 -0700 (PDT)
References: <e9o3j3$nd5$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <20060720155823.B6C771097D@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <20060720183535.9DEF91097D@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <ea0h5q$oe3$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <ea884i$66t$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <eaaoh4$ebc$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <eag1qo$cvd$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com> <eaoa5l$ec9$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com>


> > > > Then no conclusions can be drawn. Lack of evidence only
> > > > proves a lack of evidence.
> > >
> > > My probable ggg grandfather left no record of purchasing or
> > > selling land. He did not mention land in his will. His
> > > estate inventory did not mention land.
> > >
> > > I'd say that clues pointing in a specific direction, with lack
> > > of evidence to the contrary, allow one to make logical
> > > conclusions. In this case he almost certainly did not own
> > > land.
> > >
> > > (J. Hugh Sullivan)
> >
> > You can't prove a negative, so you can't prove he did _not_ own
> > land. All you can accurately state is that you have no evidence
> > that he ever did own land. It's a subtle distinction, but a very
> > real one.
> >
> > "Christopher Jahn" <>
>
> Although if you can show that you know who the assorted landowners
> were in the area at the time he was alive, and he's not among them,
> you can be pretty certain. Stop looking at him and look at the folk
> around him.
>
> Lesley Robertson <>


That occurred to me of course but there is not a lot of data in
Warren Co. NC during the period. I can find his neighbors in the
1800 and 1810 censuses but I can't locate them.

His father was a BIG land buyer and seller in Brunswick Co. VA but
no evidence that he owned land in NC.

Hugh

(J. Hugh Sullivan)

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