Check the original records

[coombs]

Check and recheck is the only way to be fairly certain, but which standard of proof should be use; that used in civil law, i.e. on the balance of probability; or that used in criminal law, i.e beyond a reasonable doubt?

With genealogy we often have to go one the balance of probabilities and the likeliest. Some things can only be proven beyond reasonable doubt. If we have strong evidence that builds up to very, very likely than that is what we have to go on as in genealogy 100% is often hard to achieve.

Ben

[stoney]

I'm in possesion of my parents official certificate of marriage - and it contains serious mistakes - like the fact my father gave a false name and changed his father's name, too, to cover his tracks!

Good job he eventually made a confession (of the "death bed" variety) - I'd have been seriously barking up a number of wrong (family) trees!

You see, you can't even trust the documents! So, heaven knows what tales our living elderly relatives might tell us!


Stoney

[Redroger]

Thanks Ben, and Stoney your father's death bed confession has something of a ring of my 2GGFs baptism, if it is him.At Henstridge Somerset, a woman Betty Meatyard, had two sons  both bastards baptised as John within a week of each other. In one of the baptisms the John was followed by the surname Luffman which had then been scored out. I was told at SRO that this crossing out of a surname was a device used by the vicar when he knew or thought he knew the identity of the father, which was a useful lead as there was only one Luffman family in the village, and they had one unmarried son around 20. It has recently been suggested on this site that the deletion of a surname may have been done by the putative father if he was denying paternity and possible payment. It has also just occurred to me that there might have been 2 women named Betty Meatyard who both had sons baptised within a week of each other, seems unlikely, but why should a mother have 2 sons baptised John when both were living?  She never claimed from the parishfor most of her children. Any suggestions welcomed!

[Peterpimlico]

I would just like to add to the comments re checking the original documents. We must remember there are three sources for "original" BMD information. 1. IGI (must be checked against another source) 2. Bishop's Transcripts (which are on occasion more accurate than the actual register). 3. The actual register (which often differs from the BT). I have in the past found entried in a BT that are not in the PR and vice versa.
Regards......................Peter       

[eadaoin]

Our marriage Cert has the wrong date (only by 3 weeks, but still...)

OH's mother's Death Cert has the wrong age - she lopped 4 years off.

My sister is known by a different name (the priest was deaf - and my parents called her by the name they had wanted, not her official name).

That's without going back more than one generation - dear knows what other stuff is wrong!

eadaoin

[stonechat]

In a similar vein my gt gt granfather's baptism shows the wrong mother's name.
His sibling all have parents as James Douglass and Mary, but he has James Douglass and Elizabeth.

Relationships on Censuses support that he is who I think. And trees drawn up by my grandfather show what I think too. This was my grandfather's own grandather.

[Redroger]

My wife's birth certificate has her born two days later than she was. There is a handwritten correction on it! Apparently her father was so excited he got in a total muddle and gave the wrong date. When her brother was born 3 years later her mother made she she registered the birth herself!

[portybelle]

I've found quite a lot of useful information on the IGI recently - or at least I hope it is, reading the above I'm not sure! As someone relatively new to using IGI can someone tell me this: if I find a record on IGI does that mean I should be able to find a corresponding OPR on Scotland's People?

[Flattybasher9]

"My wife's birth certificate has her born two days later than she was."

My birth certificate states that I was born in October, but the birth was registered/signed and dated  two months previously in August. (Both the same year) Oops!!

Regards

Malky