Ah, ya gotta love those families stories! If only they were grounded in fact, it would save a lot of research time. On my father's side, my GF was supposedly the cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm. Not even remotely true. I would still note that the Brant encounter is a family story even if the evidence has proved it wrong: that's a fun thing to add and what I plan to do, too, with the Kaiser. That the stories are wish fulfillment also throws a very human light on the ancestors. Oh, and my uncle told the mother of 2 of his Philippine children before he abandoned them that he was the cousin of Johnny Weissmueller. But that wasn't so much a family story as it was a bald-faced lie. My cousins were quite disappointed when they found out it wasn't true. (Though it's quite possible that my uncle may have been a stunt double in at least 1 Tarzan film. The first wife he abandoned knows that he worked on films after they moved to CA. There's no way of knowing if he ever even met Weissmueller and the film credits back then were pretty skimpy. I checked with a film historian and Weissmueller biographer who told me that records weren't kept on who worked on what film.) I guess everyone has the urge to boost their importance to some degree. My uncle had a greater urge than most. --- On Sat, 6/12/10, Goldsage@aol.com <Goldsage@aol.com> wrote: Thanks. I have read several of those. My evidence comes from family  records.

By the same token, don't you wish that all the "historians" were thorough, honest and professional when they commit the "real" story to paper? I have debunked my share of family lore but also come face to face with a woman who published a history that included my branch of the family, and told me herself that she "stuck" my ancestor with a certain family by a different surname "because he didn't fit anywhere else." Hardly "proof" enough for me to abandon the records I have and my digging to uncover my family's roots. When I questioned this "author" about her sources she told me herself that she destroyed her research notes when she sent her manuscript to the publisher. I don't believe that either, regardless of how famous this woman is or how widely the "history" sold. I think in the face of these discrepancies, all we can do is document them and move on. If I have family history I hang on to every single story and cherish every word. Sometimes I get different versions of the same events and I just hang on to them both. What if the version that came down in the family was the only one that turned out to be right? What if my ancestor was the eye witness that was missing from the other research and our story completes the picture? I also think that when it comes to historical events there are other, sometimes even current, researchers to consult outside of genealogical circles that may be able to point you in another place to look for information. Universities and living historians are helping me now with my Revolutionary War soldier. Another source that's been helpful was the curator of a museum dedicated to a particular battle. I provided them with both sides of the story and asked them to help me. With the military records in hand and as much supporting documentation as possible, I've found these people more than willing to help someone that could even possibly be a descendant of a participant of that battle. They've been gracious and sensitive and so far willing to assist without asking me for money either. Maybe it's time to introduce some of those historians to the documents your family holds?? What if the ones you have help them, too?? Brace yourself though for the possibility that you may have documentation that generations of your family have revered that could never have been correct. That happened to me with my Revolutionary War soldier. The flip side however is that in finding the truth I found out more about the man that I'd ever hoped. Knowing the pieces I have now are not someone else's interpretation makes it easier for me to accept that my 4g grandfather was not exactly the person our family documentation said he was. He was so much more. Yep, and he's still one of my biggest brick walls.... -------------------------------------------------- From: "juliasgenes" <juliasgenes@yahoo.com> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 1:09 PM To: <nyorange@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [NYORANGE] Orange Co. Baptists & Joseph Brant > Ah, ya gotta love those families stories! If only they were grounded in > fact, it would save a lot of research time. > > On my father's side, my GF was supposedly the cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm. > Not even remotely true. I would still note that the Brant encounter is a > family story even if the evidence has proved it wrong: that's a fun thing > to add and what I plan to do, too, with the Kaiser. That the stories are > wish fulfillment also throws a very human light on the ancestors. > > Oh, and my uncle told the mother of 2 of his Philippine children before he > abandoned them that he was the cousin of Johnny Weissmueller. But that > wasn't so much a family story as it was a bald-faced lie. My cousins were > quite disappointed when they found out it wasn't true. > > (Though it's quite possible that my uncle may have been a stunt double in > at least 1 Tarzan film. The first wife he abandoned knows that he worked > on films after they moved to CA. There's no way of knowing if he ever even > met Weissmueller and the film credits back then were pretty skimpy. I > checked with a film historian and Weissmueller biographer who told me that > records weren't kept on who worked on what film.) > > I guess everyone has the urge to boost their importance to some degree. My > uncle had a greater urge than most. > > > --- On Sat, 6/12/10, Goldsage@aol.com <Goldsage@aol.com> wrote: > > Thanks. I have read several of those. My evidence comes from family > records. > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYORANGE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >