NORCAL-L Archives

Archiver > NORCAL > 1998-02 > 0886461441


From: Jane W Perry< >
Subject: Re: Just the Facts!!
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 15:17:21 -0800


Thank you for bringing this up. When I started my genealogy I was given
many statements by my great aunt that had been handed down from "others".
But none of those statements proved to be true. Thankfully I checked
every item

Jane Perry

On Sun, 1 Feb 1998 10:21:56 -0800 "RUDECINDA LOBUGLIO"
<> writes:
>My 2 cents worth:
>But, we have to be specific about which is which. I am an
>editor, and
>have insulted many people when I demanded verification of their
>statements.
> Family legends and stories are acceptable ONLY if specifically stated
>they
>are that, or footnoted as same. Unfortunately, lately it seems that
>if it
>appears in print three times, it becomes fact, and that is very, very
>dangerous.
>Repeating and error, or exaggerating the truth, does not make
>it fact.
>And in genealogy and history (and there is a National
>Genealogical Society
>Publication whose title is: "Genealogy, the Hand Maiden of History"),
>the
>location of those facts must always be presented to the reader in
>clear and
>readable citations, so they can double-check them if they are going to
>use
>them too.
>
>
>----------
>> From:
>> To: ; ;
>> Cc:
>> Subject: Re: Just the Facts!!
>> Date: Sunday, February 01, 1998 9:16 AM
>>
>> In a message dated 98-02-01 12:13:19 EST,
>writes:
>>
>> << The truth is rarely the accumulation of the facts,but rather ones
>> interpretation of the facts-Roland Elliott.Who is to say that the
>dod,dob is
>> correct? I had rather use Marriages and Baptisms,and most of all
>what I
>can
>> learn of the customs,history,weather,crops etc of the era being
>research.I
>> agree with Walt.R >>
>>
>> I think you hit the nail right on the head, so to speak. History is
>both
>the
>> accumulation of facts combined with the author's interpretation of
>those
>> facts. It is what makes it all very interesting!!!
>>
>> Gayle
>>
>
>

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