This is an on-going concern for me. Everyone emphasizes the need for certs--but what is a cert? I do my very best to ensure that my tree is accurate, but I don't have a single 'cert' to prove anything. I'm Canadian, and I strongly suspect the British 'cert' system you all talk about is different than ours in many ways. But, as most of my maternal ancestors are British, I need to get this straight. For example, my own original birth certificate, as well as my parents & my spouses, do not identify the names of parents--only the dates of birth & registration, and place of birth. How do I know who my parents are? I grew up with them, have lots of photos, etc., but I don't have any 'cert' which tells me I was born to them. I don't know of any such a thing in Canada, or how one would obtain one.
I have found more info in Ancestry on old birth registrations than on current documents. Old birth registrations or baptismal records found on Ancestry identify the name & birth date of the child, his parents (including the mother's maiden name), address, profession of father. Is this a 'cert'? I consider it evidence of the info contained if I am confident it pertains to the right family. This sort of thing, coupled with hard evidence from the family bible, Mother's notes & photos, letters, etc. form the backbone of my tree. Mother's notes identified all of her father's siblings, names, dates of birth, and names of spouses where applicable. I've found those same names with same dates of birth & addresses in English census documents and baptismal records. Is that adequate evidence? I have to say, it is for me.
With a legal background, I look for evidence to support or disprove a suggested fact or hypothesis. I try to find evidence which proves or disproves absolutely, but as I go farther back in time I don't have absolute proof--only evidence such as the baptismal & marriage records. This to me is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt and I will accept that. Evidence which supports information only on a balance of probability requires further research, but I will include it in my data with comments to that effect.
So what are these 'certs' you refer to? What am I missing?
I have found more info in Ancestry on old birth registrations than on current documents. Old birth registrations or baptismal records found on Ancestry identify the name & birth date of the child, his parents (including the mother's maiden name), address, profession of father. Is this a 'cert'? I consider it evidence of the info contained if I am confident it pertains to the right family. This sort of thing, coupled with hard evidence from the family bible, Mother's notes & photos, letters, etc. form the backbone of my tree. Mother's notes identified all of her father's siblings, names, dates of birth, and names of spouses where applicable. I've found those same names with same dates of birth & addresses in English census documents and baptismal records. Is that adequate evidence? I have to say, it is for me.
With a legal background, I look for evidence to support or disprove a suggested fact or hypothesis. I try to find evidence which proves or disproves absolutely, but as I go farther back in time I don't have absolute proof--only evidence such as the baptismal & marriage records. This to me is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt and I will accept that. Evidence which supports information only on a balance of probability requires further research, but I will include it in my data with comments to that effect.
So what are these 'certs' you refer to? What am I missing?
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