Excellent advice, Marge. You helped me find my GGGrandfather a few years ago in a MI Prison Census. I have since been to Lansing and solved the rest of the puzzle myself. I couldn't have done it without you! I've just picked up Ancestry.com again, and another nugget of advice from me would be: Don't trust the transcription provided by Ancestry.com at the bottom of the actual census copy. It may be easier and faster to read, but if they can't make out a detail or name from the penmanship on the document, they put what THEY think it is. I have sent in three transcription corrections in a week. I've almost ignored documents because of a wrong name, country of parents, or dates. I can always see exactly how the mistake was made. Reread EVERYTHING!! Thanks again Marge, Lynn Heckerthorn [email protected] On Jul 15, 2010, at 4:13 PM, Marge Campbell wrote: > Hi > Noticed some are fairly new to genealogy (at least their Campbell lines). > This pertains to ALL your genealogy searches...just some things I have > learned over the last 40 years or so. > > 1. Never, and I'm saying it again, NEVER say Never to anyone who says they > think they may connect to your line. Why not? Because you may miss a link > and put few more bricks on that brick wall of yours. > > I have a Campbell...fairly recent..died in 1949...fairly young man... I kept > getting emails, letters, phone calls from a lady...I had even asked my MILaw > if she thought her BILaw was ever in California...her reply...NO, he > wasn't...was he in the service? NO, he wasn't...etc...then she said.."I > never met him, he died." That kept me telling this lady no, NEVER... Well, > finally, on Thanksgiving...she calls me...and emails...and I tell her...(out > of frustration mostly) I'd have the younger sister of the man contact > her...not five minutes later: "How did you find Carol? We have been looking > for her for over 20 years!"...seems my MILaw did know this man...and then > the story of why she denied the fact came out...she had a secret that > involved my hubby & this man...seems this Carol might be my hubby's half > sister, or his cousin...took DNA to fix that one. > > 2. Boundaries changed a lot in the past..state & county...shoot even > country possesion here in the USA..so, if someone says they have a close > match, but it's in NC, not VA or KY..etc...DON'T discount that...research > it! > > Census records & family genealogies are secondary at best...sometimes > downright "stories", not factual at all. Smile, accept the hints & > stories..then research them! > > We have a Dorcas Campbell..b abt 1839-40 in Missouri..we know this from all > census records she is on but one...the 1850 Shannon county MO census shows > her as Derias, age 10, a male b MO...well it's half right! > > If the census says born in Ireland..probably valid...but check other census > records...make sure. > > One reason census records can be incorrect is that a neighbor gave the info, > and guessed at a lot of the info...also, the person interviewed could not > read/write...and the spelling is off..and if asked where they hailed > from...they may say the last state they lived in...which was on the way from > somewhere else..or since grandpa was from Ireland...they say Ireland...also > I have found where the state boundary changed..and they gave TN, when it was > actually in AL. > > Just never say never...research it. > Marge > > Margie Campbell > Campbell's http://www.lmcam1.com/ > (under construction) > > NuStyle 2100 > Visit my Webshots Albums > http://community.webshots.com/user/margecam52 > > > _______________________________________ > > Remember to search the archives use this address > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=CAMPBELL > > Browse the archives at > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/CAMPBELL/ > > Contact the List Manager > mailto:[email protected] > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

You are so right. Re-read everything. I have found so many mistakes in the censuses. You just have to keep looking. Search by first name. Search by children's names. Or neighbor's name. I even found one family by systematically going page by page (it was a rainy day). Betty (aka Kelly's Mom) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Heckerthorn" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 8:55 PM Subject: Re: [Campbell] Don't build your own brick walls > Excellent advice, Marge. You helped me find my GGGrandfather a few years > ago in a MI Prison Census. I have since been to Lansing and solved the > rest of the puzzle myself. I couldn't have done it without you! I've > just picked up Ancestry.com again, and another nugget of advice from me > would be: Don't trust the transcription provided by Ancestry.com at the > bottom of the actual census copy. It may be easier and faster to read, > but if they can't make out a detail or name from the penmanship on the > document, they put what THEY think it is. I have sent in three > transcription corrections in a week. I've almost ignored documents > because of a wrong name, country of parents, or dates. I can always see > exactly how the mistake was made. Reread EVERYTHING!! > > Thanks again Marge, > Lynn Heckerthorn > [email protected] > > > > > On Jul 15, 2010, at 4:13 PM, Marge Campbell wrote: > >> Hi >> Noticed some are fairly new to genealogy (at least their Campbell lines). >> This pertains to ALL your genealogy searches...just some things I have >> learned over the last 40 years or so. >> >> 1. Never, and I'm saying it again, NEVER say Never to anyone who says >> they >> think they may connect to your line. Why not? Because you may miss a >> link >> and put few more bricks on that brick wall of yours. >> >> I have a Campbell...fairly recent..died in 1949...fairly young man... I >> kept >> getting emails, letters, phone calls from a lady...I had even asked my >> MILaw >> if she thought her BILaw was ever in California...her reply...NO, he >> wasn't...was he in the service? NO, he wasn't...etc...then she said.."I >> never met him, he died." That kept me telling this lady no, NEVER... >> Well, >> finally, on Thanksgiving...she calls me...and emails...and I tell >> her...(out >> of frustration mostly) I'd have the younger sister of the man contact >> her...not five minutes later: "How did you find Carol? We have been >> looking >> for her for over 20 years!"...seems my MILaw did know this man...and then >> the story of why she denied the fact came out...she had a secret that >> involved my hubby & this man...seems this Carol might be my hubby's half >> sister, or his cousin...took DNA to fix that one. >> >> 2. Boundaries changed a lot in the past..state & county...shoot even >> country possesion here in the USA..so, if someone says they have a close >> match, but it's in NC, not VA or KY..etc...DON'T discount that...research >> it! >> >> Census records & family genealogies are secondary at best...sometimes >> downright "stories", not factual at all. Smile, accept the hints & >> stories..then research them! >> >> We have a Dorcas Campbell..b abt 1839-40 in Missouri..we know this from >> all >> census records she is on but one...the 1850 Shannon county MO census >> shows >> her as Derias, age 10, a male b MO...well it's half right! >> >> If the census says born in Ireland..probably valid...but check other >> census >> records...make sure. >> >> One reason census records can be incorrect is that a neighbor gave the >> info, >> and guessed at a lot of the info...also, the person interviewed could not >> read/write...and the spelling is off..and if asked where they hailed >> from...they may say the last state they lived in...which was on the way >> from >> somewhere else..or since grandpa was from Ireland...they say >> Ireland...also >> I have found where the state boundary changed..and they gave TN, when it >> was >> actually in AL. >> >> Just never say never...research it. >> Marge >> >> Margie Campbell >> Campbell's http://www.lmcam1.com/ >> (under construction) >> >> NuStyle 2100 >> Visit my Webshots Albums >> http://community.webshots.com/user/margecam52 >> >> >> _______________________________________ >> >> Remember to search the archives use this address >> http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=CAMPBELL >> >> Browse the archives at >> http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/CAMPBELL/ >> >> Contact the List Manager >> mailto:[email protected] >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > _______________________________________ > > Remember to search the archives use this address > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=CAMPBELL > > Browse the archives at > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/CAMPBELL/ > > Contact the List Manager > mailto:[email protected] > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >