Identifying a match is not always easy. Here is some guidance from experts to help you determine if a record matches an ancestor or not:
- Ask yourself, “How well does the source match the vital dates, places, and relationships already contained in Family Tree?”
- Ask yourself, “Is there enough information to conclude that the record and Family Tree are describing the same person?” Some christening records, for example, list a mother’s or father’s name but no other vital information, such as age or date of birth. While a name is important, it is never a good idea to conclude that a source is about a certain person in Family Tree based on the name alone.
- Ask yourself, “Are there any major red flags?” For example, consider a situation in which most of the details on the record seem to match Family Tree—except for the birth year, which is off by 15 years. In that case, the record might actually be for a cousin.
- Ask yourself, “How trustworthy is the record?” In general, a historical record closest to the event is the most trustworthy. For example, a birth record is more trustworthy for birth information than a death record that might also include birth information.
Finally, keep in mind that errors can be more common in certain types of records than in others. For example, a census taker might have written down names without asking how to spell them correctly. Or a person’s age might have been an approximation.
On a birth certificate, by contrast, you can expect such details to be more reliable.