IGI Submissions - any ideas for their origins?

[Old Bristolian]

I have a Catherine McDonald, on whose death certificate it gives her parents as John MacDonald, Innkeeper & Christina Urquhart. On Census returns she gives Dingwall as her birthplace, & her date of birth c 1812.

There is a marriage in Dingwall PR (via IGI) for John MacDonald & Christian Urquhart 15 Jan 1808, and a baptism of William, s of John MacDonald & Christy Urquhart on 27 Feb 1818.

There are also several submitted entried for births which look like the family, including a Catherine, d of John & Christian, 18 Mar 1812. All the submitted entries have dates of birth, but not dates of baptism. Has anyone any idea of the possible origin of these entries - it seems strange to be so precise on birthdates without some sort of authority.

Steve

[dollylee]

In my own family the submittions were made by other members of the family based ONLY on what was told to them by older family members who remembered birthdates (or guessed) and passed this information on to the researcher.

These were not family members who were doing genealogy, but ones who were marrying into members of the LDS church which at that time (and possibly now) required I believe a 3 generation ancestor chart prior to approval for marriage.  The facts didn't really seem to matter re: birth dates, country of origin, religious affiliation...it was basically a list of the names of great grandparents, grandparents and parents names.  I think they were encouraged to add what information they knew but if they knew nothing other than names that was okay as well.

This has all proved to be a nightmare for me as much of it was guessed at....in one case even the poor fellows name....and so the information is wrong.  This has not stopped many people who don't understand the difference between extracted and submitted records and have just blindly copied the information given by this relative of mine.

Having said all that, it doesn't mean this is the case in your family...but I would definitely not use any of that information until you have been able to find it for yourself in a legitimate source: i.e. parish record, government record. etc.

dollylee

[Old Bristolian]

Thanks Dollylee

It does seem strange that the dates are so definite - I suppose a family bible or some such might be the source - I did wonder about Catholic or non-con records, but assume these would have been baptisn rather than birth dates

Steve