Hi All, I must differ on the view that the death certificate is always more reliable. Sometimes the facts are transcribed into the state files incorrectly and you get bad data when you send for these records. My grandmother, who died in 1949 in a very small town in LA, is listed as "Negro" on the death certificate. She was Caucasian and that would have been readily apparent and well known to everybody in the community. So I guess in some cases, it's still "garbage in, garbage out". J J > [Original Message] > From: Charles Flanders <CFlanders@hot.rr.com> > To: <JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 12/4/04 2:01:22 AM > Subject: Re: [JOHNSTON] Benjamin H. Johnston > > Dear Pam, always trust the death certificate first. Someone close to the > decedent gave the information to the coroner for the death certificate or > the family doctor filled out the death certificate. I would say that you > are on safe ground with Benjamin being the father. What is Benjamin's age > at the 1870 Census? Go back to the 1860 Census and see who is in the > household of Benjamin and John A. Benjamin's wife may have been living in > 1860 or 1870. I would also check the 1850 Census. You should also check > wills and probates for Benjamin and John A. Do you know when they died? > What county are you looking at? The U.S. Genweb project lists complete > census for the counties in MS. Their site is: > http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ms/name of > county/census/1860/pg0001a.txt > > Type in the same thing and insert the county and year of census and it > should take you to the Census for that county with people that are > enumerated with the head of household and their occupation. Good hunting. > doc > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Pam Tyler" <mommycita@cox.net> > To: <JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 12:30 AM > Subject: RE: [JOHNSTON] Benjamin H. Johnston > > > >I wish it were that easy...on the 1870 census Andrew is listed in the > > household of John A. with no relationship listed and with Benjamin (who > > is blind) living next door. On Andrew's death certificate it lists > > father's name as Benjamin--no mother's name. John A. is age 70 at time > > of 1870 census--with no wife. Can you see why I am uncertain who the > > "real" father is? > > > > Anyone have any suggestions? > > > > Pam in sunny Arizona > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Charles Flanders [mailto:CFlanders@hot.rr.com] > > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 7:40 PM > > To: JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: [JOHNSTON] Benjamin H. Johnston > > > > > > Pam, since Andrew was born 9 Apr., 1861, wouldn't he listed in the 1870 > > Census of MS either in the household of John or Benjamin Johnston? The > > Census would indicate his relationship to the head of household. > > regards, > > doc > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Pam Tyler" <mommycita@cox.net> > > To: <JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 7:27 AM > > Subject: [JOHNSTON] Benjamin H. Johnston > > > > > >> Does anyone have the following individual in their database: > >> > >> Benjamin H. Johnston > >> b abt 1836 in Mississippi > >> md Sarah Butler (wife #1) 9 Dec 1858 > >> > >> > >> I'm trying to ascertain whether a child, Andrew J. Johnston b 9 Apr > >> 1861, was the child of Benjamin or of Benjamin's father, John A. > >> Johnston. > >> > >> I would really appreciate help on this. > >> > >> Happy Holidays! > >> > >> Pam in sunny Arizona > >> > >> > >> ==== JOHNSTON Mailing List ==== > >> Messages posted to the Johnston Message board at RootsWeb are no > >> longer automatically sent to this list. > >> > >> > > > > > > > > ==== JOHNSTON Mailing List ==== > > Looking for information on your Johnstons? > > Post a message to this list by sending it to: JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== JOHNSTON Mailing List ==== > > Use a specific subject line for best results. Include full name, spouse > > (if known), dates, and LOCATION. > > > > > > > > ==== JOHNSTON Mailing List ==== > Don't forget to check alternative spellings like Johnson and Johnstone. ---jjg6808@earthlink.net--- ---Genealogists--We Confuse the Dead and Irritate the Living!---

----- Original Message ----- From: "jjg6808" <jjg6808@earthlink.net> To: <JOHNSTON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 12:48 PM Subject: Re: [JOHNSTON] Benjamin H. Johnston > Hi All, > I must differ on the view that the death certificate is always more > reliable. Sometimes the facts are transcribed into the state files > incorrectly and you get bad data when you send for these records. > My grandmother, who died in 1949 in a very small town in LA, is listed as > "Negro" on the death certificate. She was Caucasian and that would have > been readily apparent and well known to everybody in the community. > So I guess in some cases, it's still "garbage in, garbage out". > J J Death certificates are notoriously wrong! The information regarding the date and cause of death, filled in by the doctor, is the only primary information. Grieving relatives often give incorrect information out of ignorance, confusion, speculation, and just wanting to get it over and done. Parents' names on death certificates are only *clues* until proven otherwise. The location of the deceased's birth is very often either wrong or too general to be useful. I would never base any conclusion about parentage on a death certificate. Regards, Sharyn