Challenges in Genealogy

We all have our challenges in our research.  I think for me the biggest challenge has been my 4x great grand parents, John Fitzgerald, or William John Fitzgerald, and his wife Emily Tennyson.  While I have found one source that has given me John's parent's names, I proceed with caution.  Why you may ask?  Because like any other puzzle it takes more than one piece of evidence to support the information that we document. 

This may be the scientist in me coming out.  Researchers don't just test a new medication or medical device once before releasing it to the public, that could have catastrophic consequences for people.  These things are tested over and over again and exposed to rigorous testing to minimize potential harm t consumers (patients).

Now I realize that have unsupported or poorly supported research in genealogy isn't going to cost someone life consequences, but it can have a domino effect.  Let me explain.  My 3x great-grandpa, George Lardie, immigrated to Grand Traverse County, Michigan in 1860 from Quebec, Canada.  He married Mary Josephene Chartrand then Esther Beauchamp.  George and Mary had a son named George, Jr (among their several other children).  George, Jr married Harriet Coutu.  George and Harriet also named one of their sons George W., and he married a woman named Clara Franklin.  Anyone have a headache yet? 

So when I first started researching someone had given me the information that George, jr was married to Esther, which was actually his stepmother!  I added in the qualifiers to each George to help keep them straight here, but I did not have them when I was sorting this information out.  So I took an oversized piece of paper one evening and spread out on the living room floor with several printouts and different colored highlighters and a family group sheet.  Each George got a different color and I made notes and arrows and colors on my oversized paper until I figured out the right George with the right wife!  I then contacted all the people that had the information posted wrong online and gave them all the sources that I had used to come to my conclusions.  Can you see the cause and effect now?  So first off, please cite your sources.  Second, this is why it is important to use more than one source to support your research conclusions.

Leave your comments below and happy hunting!