I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page 44). This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In previous reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is overkill. Michele

Michele, I do not consider county creation dates as common knowledge. I live in Tarrant County, Texas, but I would have to look up the date is was formed. You state that the dates are easily found, however, when I cite the information I reference the actual statute the state/parish/commonwealth created it---not a derivative source of that information. Rondina _______________________ Rondina P. Muncy Ancestral Analysis 4008 Linden Avenue Fort Worth, Texas 76107 682.224.6584 rondina.muncy@gmail.com www.ancestralanalysis.com On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 8:49 AM, Michele Lewis <ancestoring@gmail.com> wrote: > I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the > succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the > county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily > looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page > 44). > This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably > considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed > but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In previous > reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is > overkill. > > > > Michele > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

That is what I was thinking when I originally cited them BUT with ESMs example of the Battle of the Bulge I didn’t know when that even occurred. I would have had to look that up (I did know that it happened in WWII so I am not a total history dweeb ☺ ☺ ☺) Michele From: Rondina Muncy [mailto:rondina.muncy@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 10:03 AM To: Michele Lewis Cc: TGF Mailing List Subject: Re: [TGF] Citation question Michele, I do not consider county creation dates as common knowledge. I live in Tarrant County, Texas, but I would have to look up the date is was formed. You state that the dates are easily found, however, when I cite the information I reference the actual statute the state/parish/commonwealth created it---not a derivative source of that information. Rondina _______________________ Rondina P. Muncy Ancestral Analysis 4008 Linden Avenue Fort Worth, Texas 76107 682.224.6584 rondina.muncy@gmail.com www.ancestralanalysis.com On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 8:49 AM, Michele Lewis <ancestoring@gmail.com> wrote: I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page 44). This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In previous reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is overkill. Michele The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

To me the litmus test for "general/common knowledge" is not whether or not one has to look it up. Quick test: What was Abraham Lincoln's wife's name? Whether or not you had to look it up, this fact would be considered general knowledge. You wouldn't have to track down and cite the marriage record. I don't know the exact date of the Battle of Gettysburg, but it is general knowledge. How about the Battle of the Crater (another CW battle)? Certainly less known than the Battle of Gettysburg I used a good example in the 2010 discussion of BCG Standard 53 which introduces the term "general knowledge" in regard to citations. (Please note that all of my opinions on this subject have not necessarily stayed the same in the past two years.) I have copied it here for reference: "In your research report you mention that Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States in 1861. Insert the footnote, and what do you use to cite this fact? An encyclopedia? A newspaper? If a newspaper, which one? The actual federal document naming him President? The official election results? Or a combination of several of these? Is this really a fact that needs to be proved? After all, this is at least part of the reason for citing your sources." For county formation dates, there are similar considerations. You could easily cite the Red Book, or Everton's HandyBook, or the FamilySearch Wiki for the county formation date. Or you could cite the specific law. Or you could cite the fact of the sudden appearance of records created under the jurisdiction. Or you could cite the first entry in the county court records, or the first deed where someone is "of Such and such County." Or a 19th century county history. Or a contemporary newspaper reporting the creation of the county. On the other hand, as I stated in my earlier response, if the specific location of the county boundaries are vital to your proof argument, then you should cite not only the original session law creating the county (and its proscribed boundaries) but also any subsequent laws that may have adjusted these boundaries. Michael Hait, CG(sm) michael.hait@hotmail.com http://www.haitfamilyresearch.com "Planting the Seeds" Blog: http://michaelhait.wordpress.com CG and Certified Genealogist are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. -----Original Message----- From: Rondina Muncy Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 10:02 AM To: Michele Lewis Cc: TGF Mailing List Subject: Re: [TGF] Citation question Michele, I do not consider county creation dates as common knowledge. I live in Tarrant County, Texas, but I would have to look up the date is was formed. You state that the dates are easily found, however, when I cite the information I reference the actual statute the state/parish/commonwealth created it---not a derivative source of that information. Rondina _______________________ Rondina P. Muncy Ancestral Analysis 4008 Linden Avenue Fort Worth, Texas 76107 682.224.6584 rondina.muncy@gmail.com www.ancestralanalysis.com On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 8:49 AM, Michele Lewis <ancestoring@gmail.com> wrote: > I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the > succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the > county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily > looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page > 44). > This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably > considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed > but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In > previous > reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is > overkill. > > > > Michele > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I have seen different levels of this. I have seen articles citing, for example, *Ancestry Red Book* for the county formation dates, and I have seen articles that did not document the county formation date at all. I believe that, if county boundaries and formation dates are vital to your argument, you should try to track down the original session law forming the counties in question. These laws would give the precise boundaries at the time of formation, as opposed to current boundaries. You would also want to check later session laws if any boundary adjustments were made later on. When we discussed the BCG Standards Manual extensively in 2010, there was a good debate about this very subject. Read through the following threads: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM/2010-05/1272805959 http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM/2010-05/1272984571 Michael Hait, CG(sm) michael.hait@hotmail.com http://www.haitfamilyresearch.com "Planting the Seeds" Blog: http://michaelhait.wordpress.com CG and Certified Genealogist are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. -----Original Message----- From: Michele Lewis Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 9:49 AM To: TGF Mailing List Subject: [TGF] Citation question I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page 44). This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In previous reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is overkill. Michele The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

As with much related documentation, the better question is not "What is right?" Instead, we should ask "What information communicates most clearly to my readers the basis for my statements and conclusions?" That answer will vary with context. With that in mind, in at least a scholarly genealogical publication context I would document the date a county was formed (ideally by citing the law establishing the county), especially if that date had some bearing on a conclusion in my proof summary or proof argument. I also think it's generally wiser in most genealogical contexts to err in the direction of too much documentation than too little. --- Tom On 2/6/2013 9:49 AM, Michele Lewis wrote: > I need to make reference to when a particular county was formed (the > succession of counties is important in this case). Would the dates of the > county formations be considered "common knowledge" since they are easily > looked up? In EE, the example given is the Battle of the Bulge (page 44). > This information is easily verified. The Battle of the Bulge is probably > considered a more prominent event in history than when a county was formed > but I am thinking that this would fall into the same category. In previous > reports I have cited my source for the date but I am wondering if this is > overkill. > > > > Michele > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message