I have been re-reading a great resource, a book by Ottawa's own Althea
Douglas, called Time Traveller's Handbook: A Guide to the Past.
In Chapter 2, "Dealing with Documents", she has two rules
of research. The first one is -
"Never trust a transcript made
by someone else. Wherever you can, check the original document."
I once came across a census return
which said that the person I was researching was born in Canada, and
his marriage certificate (which took place in Canada) said that he was born in Ireland.
Which is true? The same person – but
two different countries. What was I to do? It was important to
determine that I find the correct country in which he was born
because the immigration date of the family depends on it.
Possible Solution: I have
decided to visit a nearby genealogical society
later
this summer
to see if they have
any primary evidence which can support the proof I need to show one country or the other.
Conclusion: I guess I could say
that I have the very beginnings of a "brick wall". Gosh, I
hope not – but I have a "feeling", since the immigration
took place in the middle 1800s ...
The second rule is -
"Always
remember that clerks and clergymen, census takers and directory
compilers, write down what they heard – what people said to them".
And isn't this statement true!
Once again, in researching my own
family (Haley) that went from Nova Scotia to California in
the 1870s, I was confused by the different names
of the places where they lived (or didn't live) – Centerville,
Newark, Fremont, Washington Township, etc.
I knew that these places were in
Alameda County, across he bay from San Francisco – but were they the same
place?
Possible Solution: I never have
really answered the question. I have looked at many maps of the
area, newspapers, and land records to get a good understanding of the
area, but I am in somewhat of a quandary.
Conclusion: I have decided that
the lived in Centerville (later known as Newark) in Washington County,
California.
The book lists the following chapters -
Chapter 1 – A Time Traveller's Frame
of Reference
Chapter 2 – Dealing with Documents
Chapter 3 – Dealing with Family
Tradition
Chapter 4 – What Every Schoolchild
Used to Know
Chapter 5 – Money
Chapter 6 – The Value of Money: It's
Not What it Used to Be
Chapter 7 – Travel in the Past
Chapter 8 – Trades and Their Tools
Chapter 9 – Work Away From Home
Chapter 10 – Family and Connections
Chapter 11 – Home Sweet Home
Chapter 12 – How We Lived Then
Chapter 13 – Health in the Past
Chapter 14 – Our Heritage
Chapter 15 – Our VIP Heritage
Chapter 16 – Our Seafaring and
Military Heritage
There is an Appendix (Date of
Historical Events), Notes, a Bibliography, and an Index.
In case you are interested in the book,
it is available from the Ontario Genealogical Society's e-Bookstore on
their website at
www.ogs.on.ca.
