In a message dated 8/4/03 4:25:44 PM Mountain Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > which category is a headstone, please? > How about my Drake family Bible; is it primary or secondary I've seen errors in both--and as Nyla pointed out---county records also contain errors. You're right--no matter what you label it--gotta evaluate each piece of evidence separately. Maybe that's the primary message we need to get across to new researchers--not what kind of evidence but how reliable is it? And maybe emphasize that what Great Aunt Harriet said twenty years ago may not be accurate! That's my real concern--the number of family traditions and tales that just don't hold up under examination--which means they HAVE to be examined. As for bible records--I said SOME can't be considered "primary." I've seen a family bible in which a great great nephew wrote the whole "history" of our ancestor's Rev. service in his bible--and I can't find a trace of old John in the Rev.! In fact, when he was supposed to be at Valley Forge he was buying property in Mecklenburg VA! A fer piece to travel.... Gale Fuller just summed it up nicely. Don't label--just look at every piece of evidence carefully! Karen