I would like to respond to Sandra's note as I have a similar issue. This is from one of my ancestor's wills. One interesting and unexplained bequest was to an Elizabeth Nichols who received "use of land" conditioned on her remaining unmarried, and her daughter Cilla Nichols who received livestock and household goods. Although there was Nichols/Nicholas families around in that era, I don't believe anyone has determined WHO Elizabeth and da. Cilla are. My guess..... would be SLAVE and her .....ah.... his daughter? Maybe Elizabeth was the House Servant.... maybe he got her pregnant. HE.... wasn't the best of souls anyway. Supposedly he beat his wife regularly...... and we know he was having an affair with her cousin who after his separation to his wife ended up having 3 children by her and spent his life with her. But my main point is..... and I stress this to all my sites I'm on when the topic comes up. Read everything concerning YOUR AREA OF INTEREST. Even if it is a will of someone else.... especially and most importantly back in the very early years, 1600-1700's. There were about 4000 alone in just Virginia..... which was like a "new county" Imagine how few people were in other states at that time. I know people will just hit DELETE on the lists if it doesn't pertain to them. Wrong! In reading the Will of my 10th great grandfather MEADOWS on my mother's side........ I found it was witnessed by my 1st cousin 11 times removed TRAVERS, on my father's side. When you are researching those old counties, like I said, remember.... there weren't too many people there back then. Someone had to witness it. What about estates sales too.... Look at how many people come out of the woodwork to buy their stuff after they die. My point is...... here some 300 years earlier my parents ancestors knew each other. My father's people from then in Virginia went to White Co. IL then my father's family to Summit Co. OH....... my mother's people to WVa and then she to Summit. We all come full circle...... you'll never know who you will find lest ye read everything!!!!!! Janean ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandra Ferguson" <ferg@ntelos.net> To: <PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 9:21 AM Subject: [PaOldC] Primary and secondary sources > This is a good example of why secondary sources are not accepted by > organizations as proof of any kind......and that primary > documentation....birth, death, marriage records, census, etc, are necessary. > Some seem to have difficulty grasping the fact that secondary sources just > aren't sufficient , and as such may be only thought of as clues, clues that > must be either proven true, or untrue, with primary records. there is > always someone that brings up the fact that the so and so census was > wrong...granted, mistakes happen even in primary records, but, they are the > best we have to work with! When I teach genealogy classes I always suggest > folks 'shoot' for joining some sort of a group....DAR, SAR, local county or > state groups, etc....anything that will give them an understanding of > exactly what may be considered proof. It gets them 'thinking' in the right > direction and will be a help throughout their research. Hopefully, they > will NEVER accept something that is 'told' them, as truth...ditto for > anything found in county history books, on the internet, in the ancestral > files at the LDS, or those published family histories, notorious for being > long on theory and short on fact! > I also always share something told me by my own genealogical > guru...and, something whose wisdom I have never found reason to > doubt...."Never believe anything unless you have the proof IN YOUR OWN > HAND." That's why my own files are chucked full of hardcopies....I haven't > accepted the fact that so and so is mentioned in so and so's will....I get a > copy of that will! - and have also always found these documents hugely > interesting....what could be better than reading the inventory that goes > with your great great great grandfather's will - to see how he lived, what > he owned, did he read? (books on the inventory).. could he write (did he > sign his will or use a mark)., and so many other things. > Some wills pose us questions that are, perhaps unanswerable, but > certainly interesting to think of. One of my family wills contained the > following clause (1677, VA) > " To him that shall have the girle named Jane Stowe to have 2 cows more than > the rest. I will that all my children may have a great care of the keeping > of the said Jane Stow soe long as she lives" > So, who in the world was Jane Stowe....I've found no one married to a > Stowe or any family connection to anyone named Stowe...so, who was she? I > looked at surrounding landowners, and no Stowes there (thinking a neighbor's > orphan child, taken in and raised)....... why did the person who would marry > her get 2 more cows that the others? and, why were his children asked to > take care of her? What was wrong with her...was she handicapped in some > way? I'll never find the answers, but how very interesting to think > about......and, I'd never have known it if I hadn't obtained a copy of the > will. > > S. > > " even some of the most cited references tend to be prone to occasional > errors and leaps of faith, which is why secondary sources should always be > treated with some skepticism. " > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.2/373 - Release Date: 6/22/2006 > > > ==== PA-OLD-CHESTER Mailing List ==== > Unsubscribing. To leave PA-old-chester-l, send mail to > PA-old-chester-l-request@rootsweb.com > with the single word unsubscribe in the message or subject slot." > > NO VIRUS WARNINGS - if you are concerned contact me PERSONALLY ferg@ntelos .nettp://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/pa-old-chester > this site allows you to browse by month.. > > please visit the Chester Co rootsweb site...it is full of area photos, helpful URLs and lots of county information > http://www.pa-roots.com/~chester/ > > if you have a problem contact ME ferg@ntelos and NOT the list > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >