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Genealogy Blog

September 26, 2007

False and misleading family history information   

          Take it with a grain of salt – a saying (or cliché) that, according to Wikipedia, dates back to 1647.  It can most definitely be applied to what information we find on the internet.  This information of course includes family tree information, sprinkled across millions of web pages. (Just Googled the term “family tree”…came up with 2,270,000 results. )
          I always assume the information I find online is not necessarily fact…but leads. More accurately, hints to assist me in pursing a family line. It isn’t just the internet information that needs to be viewed with a skeptical eye, but documents handed down from family members.
          Years ago my grandmother gave me a rolled parchment, with teeny tiny hand writing, listing generation upon generation of our ancestors.  A notation on that parchment, was a belief that one ancestor, Gabriel Chalmers, was believed to be the illegitimate son of Scottish poet, Robert Burns, and  his mistress, Maggie Chalmers.
 Gabriel Chalmers         Sure enough, there was a Maggie Chalmers associated with the famous Burns, and letters existed between the two.  While they were friends, I never found information stating they were lovers.(Yes, I saw them in a book…and we all know, if it is written, must be true! )
          Yet, is that Maggie, our Maggie?  According to a more recent history of our family, in Our Family Clint, by a distant cousin, Elaine Kirkham, Gabriel’s mother’s married name was Chalmers…her maiden name was Dickson.  Plus, John Chambers is listed as Gabriel’s father, and John Chalmers as paternal grandfather.  (Seems Maggie Chalmers was a fairly common Scottish name, and I’ve heard Gabriel’s mother referred to as “Mary”.)
          Had my data from that dusty and aged parchment made it verbatim on the internet, without the benefit of the newer, updated information, would my family members then assume they are descended from Burns? While I haven’t verified all of Kirkham’s research, I would personally give her data more credence than that of the parchment.
          I recall reading about a professional genealogist, who was hired by some wealthy people, eager to discover they hailed from worthy and notable ancestors. So as not to disappoint his clients, he fabricated genealogy evidence, and gave them the family trees they wanted.  Unfortunately, his counterfeit research polluted the pool of information. 
          I have also come across internet articles about online programs generating false family trees, in hopes to capture hits from surfers searching surnames.  The bottom line…take it all with a grain of salt.

- BAJH

 

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