I just watched an amazing webinar from Legacy Family Tree Webinars featuring Angela Packer-McGee, and let me tell you – it was a game-changer.
Angela’s a certified genealogist who knows her stuff, and she broke down exactly how to tackle those frustrating moments when your family records don’t match up.
Let’s dive in.
What Even Is Conflicting Evidence?
Simple. It’s when two records tell different stories about the same person or event. Think about it:
- Your great-grandma can’t be born in both New York and California
- Uncle Joe couldn’t have died in both 1825 and 1828
- And your ancestor definitely couldn’t have two different mothers
These conflicts happen all the time in genealogy. Some are minor (like different name spellings), while others are major (like completely different parents).
The Detective’s Toolkit: 5 Key Strategies
Angela shared five powerful strategies for solving these family history mysteries:
- Do thorough research (duh, but there’s more to it)
- Analyze how reliable each record is
- Check if sources were created independently
- Compare and contrast all your evidence
- Weigh the evidence (quality over quantity!)
The Golden Rule: Quality Beats Quantity
Here’s something crucial:
Just because 10 online family trees say the same thing, doesn’t make it true. One high-quality original record often trumps dozens of copied trees.
Think about it – if one person makes a mistake and others copy it, you’ve just got the same mistake repeated multiple times.
Real-Life Example: The Case of William Dalton’s Mother
Angela walked us through a fascinating case where family records showed William Dalton’s mother as “Frances,” but parish records named her as “Rebecca.”
The process went like this:
- Found conflicting records
- Analyzed each source’s reliability
- Discovered some records were just copies of each other
- Located original parish records
- Found a logical explanation for the mix-up
The solution? Rebecca was the real mother, but Frances was William’s older sister who helped raise him after Rebecca died young.
Family stories about “Frances” got mixed up over generations.
How to Write It All Up
Once you’ve solved your mystery, Angela recommends writing up your findings. Include:
- What records you found
- Why they conflict
- How you analyzed them
- What conclusion you reached
- Why your conclusion makes sense
Quick Tips for Success
- Don’t trust family trees without checking their sources
- Look for original records whenever possible
- Consider who provided the information in each record
- Search for patterns in naming traditions
- Use DNA evidence to support your conclusions
When to Keep Digging
Sometimes you won’t find a clear answer right away. That’s okay! Keep these questions in mind:
- Have I checked all possible record types?
- Could the answer be hiding under a misspelled name?
- Might there be records in unexpected places?
- Could DNA testing help confirm relationships?
Ready to Solve Your Own Family Mysteries?
You can watch this amazing webinar free until 10/31 on Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
Trust me – it’s worth every minute.
Remember: Every family history mystery is solvable with the right approach. Sometimes you just need to dig deeper, think creatively, and follow the evidence where it leads.
