I find myself shouting at long dead authors and erroneous family trees on screen. I really think I'm cracking up. I read a book supposively well researched and quotes 2 real documents but the rest is drivell. The author claims another researcher has obviously got it wrong because the person didn't get the right probate date as it didn't fit their dates. The fact that the author wrote it about 80 years ago and is long dead doesn't stop me wishing I could throttle her.
There was a long court case between nephews about inheritance, with several court documents recording dates people died and when the dispute arose but this writer has ignored all that easily available information,(it was printed in contemporary collection of charters and chancery records) so not only did she miss all that she cast scorn on what was probably good research. If only I could find his history.
Then there is a second family history where in spite of the fact that the 2 families have different coats of arms and no obvious link the author links them together because both families, though not even the same birthdates, have 3 brothers with the same first names and roughly same surname. There is clear evidence in the Parish records that they did not suddenly bunk off to Norfolk as one brother died in infancy.
Why has no one ever questioned these people in 80 years? Why are they continually quoted as authorities?
So I find myself frightening the cat shouting at the computer or a book.
There was a long court case between nephews about inheritance, with several court documents recording dates people died and when the dispute arose but this writer has ignored all that easily available information,(it was printed in contemporary collection of charters and chancery records) so not only did she miss all that she cast scorn on what was probably good research. If only I could find his history.
Then there is a second family history where in spite of the fact that the 2 families have different coats of arms and no obvious link the author links them together because both families, though not even the same birthdates, have 3 brothers with the same first names and roughly same surname. There is clear evidence in the Parish records that they did not suddenly bunk off to Norfolk as one brother died in infancy.
Why has no one ever questioned these people in 80 years? Why are they continually quoted as authorities?
So I find myself frightening the cat shouting at the computer or a book.