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Archiver > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM > 2009-12 > 1261582586


From: Jeanette Daniels <>
Subject: Re: [TGF] Absence vs. Availability of Evidence
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:36:26 -0800 (PST)
References: <mailman.751.1261555304.6123.transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com><a06240800c757d2b17ef4@[192.168.1.3]>
In-Reply-To: <a06240800c757d2b17ef4@[192.168.1.3]>


Jullaine,

This is a common problem for anyone doing genealogical research.  There are so many amateur researchers who don't want to change their pedigrees.  Absense of information may mean that a researcher is in the wrong place.  As you indicated, the records were destroyed.  In research situations like this, everything available must be checked and conclusions made based upon what is there.  I personally have had similar opposition to some of the work I have done.  It has been amazing the "sources" used to refute my findings.  In two cases, the "sources" were made up.  One source was a funeral presentation given in the late 1600s which stated the birth place of the deceased.  This "source" was never published and the funeral presentation had fallen apart over 200 years ago, but everyone knew that the birth place stated in it was ________, not what I had found.  Another was a family bible that had been destroyed in a fire circa 1900 but again everyone
remembered exactly what the birth year of the earliest descendant in the bible was. 

As I pointed out to those reading the "sources," these were not sources because they didn't exist and there was no proof that they had ever existed.  These "sources" were listed to legitimize the "research" findings of whoever put the original information together that everyone now accepts as fact.  I can't comment on the specifics of your own research, because I personally have not worked the problem.  I, therefore, really don't know whether you are correct or the others are.  But, if they have used secondary sources and have not personally done any research with the sources that are now available, you probably are correct or more correct than they are. 

Don't get discourageed.  You can always rip holes in their non-research whether you can definitely prove that you are correct or not.

Jeanette


 


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