Today's discussions got me thinking about another inconsistency concerning Mayflower Society documentation policies that I'm hoping someone can better explain. Why are family bibles and letters and other written records of family relationships accepted for generations that lived several generations ago, but they won't take my word or written statement, for example, about the identity and parentage of my great-grandmother who I personally knew? As I see it, there should be nothing better than a first-hand account, unless their assumption is that I could be "lying" to gain membership through people who weren't really my ancestors. I'd be interested to hear some other opinions or experiences.

Personal knowledge can be decieving. I wrote a research paper about a community that existed in our area for about 10 years. When my paper was read by the daughter of the founder, who was a child resident at the time, she was indigant (sp) that I did not have her father as the owner of the property he sold. Actually he was only an agent for the paper company that owned the land. My information came from the courthouse. Her info came from the remembrances of a small child.