Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-mailer:     Pegasus Mail v2.3 (R3).
Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Thu, 5 Nov 1992 18:26:18 -0600
Reply-To:     sro@arlan.byu.edu
From:         Steve Olsen <SRO@ARLAN.BYU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Ancestral File question
Comments: To: Brad Green <green@PLAINS.NODAK.EDU>,
          ROOTS-L Genealogy List <ROOTS-L@VM1.NoDak.EDU>

> Date:          Thu, 5 Nov 1992 17:52:57 CST
> Reply-to:      Bill Green <green@plains.nodak.edu>
> From:          Brad Green <green@PLAINS.NODAK.EDU>
> Subject:       Ancestral File question
> To:            Multiple recipients of list ROOTS-L <ROOTS-L@VM1.NoDak.EDU>

> So here's a little tidbit from a trip to the FHC today.
>
> Mahlon LAMB, b. 1848 in Indiana
> Married to Ruth HAISLEY in 1871.
>
> The interesting thing is the children.  They were born in 1871, 1874, 1877,
> 1879, 1881, 1886, 1888, and 1890.  The question is simple - all the kids were
> born in Northbranch, except the first (1871) who was born in Indiana, and
> #7 (1888) who was born in Los Angeles.  The first child was my ggrandfather,
> and the 1920 census also shows he was born in Indiana, so that's probably
> accurate.  What about the LA child?  Any guesses on whither he should not
> be in the family, or just birthplace wrong?  He's not really a direct
> ancestor, so should I "waste" time trying to pin him down further or what?

Dear Bill Green,
From the time the trans-continental railroad was completed in 1869,
people could travel to Calif. for work, for vacations, for hot springs
and health treatments, to visit family members, etc., so it's not
suprising that someone **could** be born in Calif. even though all
siblings were born elsewhere.

Northbranch sounds like a railroad terminal to me.  Is it?  If so, and
particularly if your ancestor worked for the railroad, it is
certainly possible that the data you have may be correct.

> Another question involves the basic accuracy of the Ancestral File.  I know
> what's there should be taken with a grain of salt, but from personal
> experience, just how accurate is it?  Has someone who's started with what's
> there and verified it, come to any conclusions on percentage of accuracy?

I can't give a percentage of accuracy, except to say that the
Ancestral File is only as accurate as the information which
was submitted by the individuals who contributed to it.  (And that
information is only as accurate as the source records on which it was
based.)

Some data in clearly more accurate than other.  I have found
duplicate records for individuals in the same family--if two records
for the same individual come in but there are differences in the data,
both are listed as separate individuals until someone can reconcile
he errors and have the records combined.  Sometimes aunts, uncles,
cousins, grandparents, and others who may have lived in a family's
household are listed as though they are children.

Some of the records may be based on memory only and some memories are
much more accurate than others.  Primary sources to verify the data
are not always available, so sometimes it's conjecture as to what is
true and what is not.

My purely personal opinion is that information on a person's immediate
family and on direct-line ancestors tends to be much more accurate
than data on aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., who are the descendants of
the siblings of direct-line ancestors.  Things like who is older or
younger, where they were born or died, which was the first name and
which was the middle name, etc. tend to be less reliable the farther
you stray from direct lines.

If you find errors in the Ancestral File, you are encouraged to submit
corrections and supporting documentation to help make Ancestral File
as correct as possible.

Steve Olsen
1234 N. Main Street
Orem, Utah  84057

Researching: Amen, Born, Borns, Buchanan, Gerlach, Shockey, and
Schlotterbeck in Penn. and Ohio;
Akins and Burns in Calif., Colo., Ill., Mo., Nev., Ore. and Utah;
Porter in Ariz., Ill., Penn., and Utah.

>
> --
> *****************************************************************************
> *  Bill Green, Minot, North Dakota   *    Forget the "Brad", it's really    *
> *  Internet green@plains.NoDak.Edu   *                Bill                  *
> *     Cleveland Freenet ak385        *   We put the wheat in your wheaties  *
> *****************************************************************************
> * Researching: BROWN (1579-1905 Eng/Ma/Ks)   HOWLAND (1600?-1687 Eng/Ma)    *
> *  WILSON (1917-1978 Il)     COOK ( 1875-1950 Ks)   STANLEY (1870-1950 Ks)  *
> *  LAMB (1870-1950 Ks)       SMITH (1855 Ia)        WILMARTH ( 1730 Ma)     *
> *     KOTCHIAN, KOHOUTEK, MARSCHALL, ANHORN (All Eastern Europe-ND)         *
> *****************************************************************************
>
Newsgroups: soc.roots