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Definition of a Source

One of the things I stress to everyone researching their family history is to always obtain accurate information for their Family History and to keep track of where they obtained it.  We want Facts in our files and we want proof that those Facts are true.  That proof is called a Source.

Example:  I found the date and place of my great grandparents’ 1895 marriage in Virginia on Microfilm #0030523 that I rented from the Latter Day Saints Library in Salt Lake City.  The title of the Microfilm is Alleghany Co, VA Marriages 1822-1916.  The marriage information is the Fact.  The title of the Microfilm, its number and where I rented it from is the Source.   

Many researchers believe that more than one Source is needed to prove that a Fact is correct.  I believe that if you’ve found definitive, indisputable proof of a Fact, one Source is enough.  The microfilm where I found the record of my great-grandparent’s marriage was an actual copy of the county courthouse marriage register.  That is an undisputible Source, therefore I feel it is the only Source I need to prove their marriage.  However, if I find another excellent Source that also proves their marriage, I will record it, too.  I also believe you can never have too much proof.     

There are some things that you should add to your family file that you will never be unable to provide solid Sources for as proof.   An example would be a family story that your ancestor is supposed to have been the last Czar of Russia who was smuggled out of the palace and who fled to America to escape a death sentence.  Don’t discount the value of these stories.  Record them all.  For these, I note as the Source when I heard the story and who told it to me.  It was just this kind of story, though not as outlandish, that helped me find missing links in my family’s history.  Maybe someone in your family did flee from Russia after killing his lover’s husband and that outlandish story helps you discover your emigrant ancestor’s real history.  Besides, family stories add a lot of color to your family history.  If your relatives have a good story to tell, no matter how tall the tale, write it down.  Your descendants will love you for it.