Be very careful when relying on genealogies and family histories. They can help you break through a brick wall or build one for you!
Some situations that you may run into:
(1) Some of the books written in that 1880-1920 range [even a little later] can be poorly documented. They can be filled with unconfirmed family lore that the author has taken as gospel. The books may even be a complete train wreck. Make sure you check the "facts" with more current data. Try to verify the family lore using other sources.
"Train wrecks"? "The Descendants of Robert Lockwood" by Frederick A. Holden & E. Dunbar Lockwood in 1889 assigned the American Lockwood line to the immigrant Robert. The authors all but ignored his brother Edmund. Noted genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus debunked the Lockwood Genealogy, but a whole lot of us beginners didn't know that. In 1978, Harriet Woodbridge Hodge wrote "Some Descendants of Edmund Lockwood." You see, Edmund was the progenitor of the vast majority of the Lockwoods. The five generations of my family listed in Holden & Lockwood became six in Hodge. The only common ancestors were Anna Lockwood and James St. John, the last couple in each list.
(2) If the family info is sketchy or questionable, rely on what you can cross-check. For example, a question came up from another researcher about the St. John lineage. Was my Samuel St. John the son of Mathias II or Mathias III? Orline Alexander St. John's work on the St. John family had relied on a lot of early data passed down and used in the book. St. John did include many will and deed references. It was the deed references that became crucial. Using death dates for Mathiases I, II & III, as well as estimating the year each reached majority, it was possible to tell where Samuel [to my satisfaction] fit in the family. St. John had him as son of Mathias III, I believe he was the son of Mathias II. Additional sources helped support that view.
(3) Check the facts, the sources, and the interpretation of both. This applies to a book written in 1888 or 2008. In one genealogy, my 3rd and 4th generations of Pralls were a mess. Wills, estate settlements and Bounty Land Warrant files were used to piece together those generations. Two children were not named in Mary Whittaker Prall's will [Edward and Cornelius]. Edward, based on his BLW file was assigned several children. Cornelius became two people. He died in 1813, but the estate wasn't settled until 1819. Cornelius also married three times. So each was assigned several children. Brother Benjamin did not fare well either. Once the dust settled, Edward [who witnessed his mother's will] and Cornelius [who had already received his share of the estate] were proven to belong to Mary and Aaron Prall. Edward never married, nor did he have any children. Cornelius became one guy with three wives and a slew of kids. Those kids assigned Edward were nieces, nephews and siblings. All this was from a 1990 book.
(4) Fraudulent genealogies: Back in the 1800s some folks wanted to be related to nobility or the truly famous. There were "genealogists" who could do that for you! Playing fast and loose with the facts, tweaking a date here and there, and making your ancestor fit nicely into a royal/famous line was their specialty. For a price, of course! Gustave Anjou and Horatio Gates Somerby were two of the most noted creators of genealogical fabrication. Beware of their works!
As always, verify the information and check the sources!
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