Now where the heck did I find that?

My cousin Vicky and I have recently discovered a major boo-boo in our genealogy research that both of us are guilty of ... not accurately and completely recording the sources where we found our information.

I think most beginners in genealogy may experience this also.

First, I'd like to distinguish between a "source" and "proof," and they are two different things. "Proof" is always linked to a source, but a "source" may not always be proof. Sort of like "all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares."

A "source" can be something as simple as something someone said ... or information from an online family file. But "proof" is actual documentation of an event and the exact, detailed information on where it may be found. Whenever you add information to your family tree, you should always put the source of that information. If you don't, it will come back to haunt you later. I can promise you that. You may find yourself backtracking and going over the same information you have researched before a waste of precious research time. If you at least record the source, you can go back and "prove" it later.

What I am most guilty of is not completely recording my source. Take a census record, for instance. I always record the year, county and household number of the ancestor I'm researching. But often I forget to get the enumeration district, line number, page number and microfilm roll number. Several times I've had to go back and check again to get this important information. Also, microfilm numbers are different depending on where you find them. The LDS microfilm numbers are different from Georgia Archives microfilm and National Archives microfilm numbers, so you need to distinguish between those sources too.

When using a book as my source, I always got the name of the book, the author, publisher and copyright date but forgot to get the page number where the information was found or the library where I found the book. I would like to note here and now that information in a family history book is not proof unless the specific source details are given. Even then, you should check it out for yourself. Just because someone wrote it in a book doesn't mean it's true. I have read three books on McWhorters and not one researcher is in complete agreement. That means there is room for doubt and sources need to be checked.

When I first started, I was privileged to have some information my mother and my late aunt had already researched but they, too, neglected to note the source. I had a beautiful copy of my great-grandparents' marriage certificate, but no marriage book or page number where it was found. I also had a copy of my GGGgrandfather's will but no will book or page number. So I had to go back to square one and find this information for myself. Of course, I admit it was fun doing it and it helped to know the county the marriage occurred in and where the will was recorded. I probably would have checked later for myself anyway. But without the books and page numbers where the original records were found, the information was useless to a fastidious and meticulous researcher.

Some researchers are hesitant to give their complete sources when they share information with another. Often, online family files will lack a list of sources. I imagine some people feel that they took the time to do the research and others should do the same thing. I can go along with that to a certain degree. But information without at least a partial source lacks credibility. You can at least put something like "1870 Campbell County census records" or "Gravestone, such-and-such cemetery," which says you have found proof of your ancestor's existence and other pertinent information. This gives credibility to your file. Then let the other person find the page number and other information for himself. Besides, if someone else does your research for you, you miss out on a lot of the fun the thrill of the hunt, so to speak.

Most research facilities have copiers, which makes recording and remembering sources easier. But sometimes I have found myself jotting down information from books and microfilm when the copiers were being used and time was running out. I'm getting ready to begin my fourth spiral notebook of information ... and I have all of them safely tucked away in another notebook where I can refer to them when I need to. I still find myself going over information I wrote down years ago and finding what I need, even though I didn't know it when I wrote it down. If you think even remotely that information may come in handy later, write it down or copy it! You may be sorry later if you don't.

As for "proof," nothing but official documents will do. Marriage records, birth and death certificates, census records, military records, Social Security records, certified family Bibles, land transfer and purchase records, wills, court records ... all these are considered credible "proof" of your ancestor's life, his or her ancestors, and descendants.

Sometimes, in the cases of courthouse fires, no proof is available ... or ever will be available. I am facing that in Heard County right now. Since I have found my relatives living there as children and later as married adults with their spouses, I know they were probably married there. But because of the courthouse fire, I will never find their marriage records. For proof, the best you can do is hope to find them in a later census where the number of years they have been married is recorded.

Then make an educated guess. Generally, you can place marriages a year or so before the birth of the first child ... but not always. Our ancestors were just as human then as we are now and often were subject to "temptations of the flesh."

I hope some of this will keep you from making some of the mistakes I made and save you valuable research time. Vicky and I have learned the hard way to always record sources and get proof. If you're going to be a credible researcher, or intend to apply for membership in a lineage organization based on your research, it's the only way to go.

Looking for your ancestors? Got a genealogy tip? Write to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; e-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!