Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Resolving an Evidence Conflict - Post 3: Analyzing the Evidence

This is the third post in a series about resolving an evidence conflict in my genealogy research. This task is part of applying the Genealogical Proof Standard to genealogy research problems. It's also part of my homework for my ProGen Study Group that I described in Post 1: The Assignment. Post 2: The Evidence identified the Sources I have found for my particular problem and the Evidence contained in each Source to answer the questions:

* What was Devier J. Lamphier Smith birth name?
* What was his birth date?
* What is his birthplace?

Here is my Analysis of each Source and each piece of Evidence (I am repeating the Source citation for clarity in this post):

Source 1: Devier and Abigail (Vaux) Smith Family Bible records, 1805-1946, loose family pages only, first entries made in 1889. Original pages held by Randall J. Seaver, 1154 Via Trieste, Chula Vista CA 91911 in 2009.

Analysis of Source 1:
Source Type: Original (Bible pages with informants handwriting)
Information Type: Secondary (Devier J. Smith birth information written in 1889)
Evidence Type: Direct (provides name and exact date)
Relevance: Very High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: Very High for names and dates (surely Devier J. Smith know his own birth date)
Provenance: Original document kept in Smith > Carringer > Seaver family.

Source 2: 1850 U.S. Census, Dodge County, Wisconsin, Population Schedule, Burnett township, Page 43 (stamped), Dwelling #609, Family #632, Ranslow Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com , : accessed 28 February 2009), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 996.

Analysis of Source 2:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original > Record Copy (Federal) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).


Source 3: 1860 U.S. Census, Dodge County, Wisconsin, Population Schedule, Oak Grove township, Page 745 (penned), Dwelling #704, Family #701, Ranslow Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com , : accessed 28 February 2009), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 1406.

Analysis of Source 3:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original > Record Copy (Federal) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 4: 1870 U.S. Census, Taylor County, Iowa, Population Schedule, Benton township, Page 13 (penned), Dwelling #207, Family #207, Devier Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com , : accessed 28 February 2009), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 421.

Analysis of Source 4:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original > Record Copy (Federal) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 5: 1880 U.S. Census, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, Population Schedule, Shannon township, Page 243D (stamped), Dwelling #125, Family #125, D.J. Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com , : accessed 28 February 2009), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 393.

Analysis of Source 5:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original > Record Copy (Federal) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 6: 1875 Kansas State Census, Cloud County, Kansas, Population Schedule, Lincoln township, Page 12 (penned), Dwelling #107, Family #107, D.J. Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com, : accessed 28 February 2009), citing Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Roll K-4.

Analysis of Source 6:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original (State) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 7: 1885 Kansas State Census, Clay County, Kansas, Population Schedule, Clyde township, Page 35 (penned), Dwelling #69, Family #82, D.J. Smith household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com, : accessed 28 February 2009), citing Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Roll K-23.

Analysis of Source 7:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and age)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original (State) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 8: State of Wisconsin, Private & Local Laws Passed by the Legislature of Wisconsin and Acts & Resolves Passed by the Legislature of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, digital image, Wisconsin GenWeb, Name Changes in Wisconsin database, http://www.wigenweb.org/waupaca/Misc/M1.htm, accessed 28 February 2009.

Analysis of Source 8:
Source Type: Derivative (Abstract)
Information Type: Primary (relevant, timely)
Evidence Type: Direct (names person with birth and adoptive names)
Relevance: Very High (directly applies to person)
Credibility: Very High for name (provides birth and adoptive names)
Provenance: Original (Court Record) > Abstract (Book) > Image Copy (Digital).

Source 9: Robert T. Ray, compiler, Cemetery Records of Red Willow County, Nebraska, Southwest Nebraska Genealogical Society, 197?, 47. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah (978.2843 V3r), 12 January 2009.

Analysis of Source 9:
Source Type: Derivative (Abstract)
Information Type: Secondary (informant unknown, probably son)
Evidence Type: Indirect (provides name and birth year)
Relevance: High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and date (information generally consistent with other sources)
Provenance: Original (Gravestone) > Abstract (Book).


Source 10: Andrew County, Missouri Probate Court, Probate Records, 1841-1918; Index to Probate Records, 1841-1976, Case No. 1074, Smith, Ranslow, page 47, Andrew Count, Missouri, Courthouse, Savannah, Missouri. Family History Library Microfilm 1,006,198, Item 3, accessed on 12 January 2009.

Analysis of Source 10:
Source Type: Derivative (Record Copy, Image Copy)
Information Type: Primary (informant is father, timely)
Evidence Type: Direct (provides birth and adoptive name)
Relevance: Very High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: Very High for name (Court Record attested to by witnesses)
Provenance: Original (Court Record) > Record Copy (Court clerk book) > Image Copy (Microfilm) > Image Copy (Digital).


Source 11: Abigail (Vaux) Smith Family Papers, 1805-1894, loose family pages only, first entries probably made in about 1894. Original pages held by Randall J. Seaver, Chula Vista CA 91911 in 2009.

Analysis of Source 11:
Source Type: Original (pages in informants handwriting)
Information Type: Secondary (all information wirtten probably in 1894)
Evidence Type: Direct (provides name and exact date)
Relevance: Very High (directly applies to problem)
Credibility: High for names and dates (for Devier J. Smith, his wife probably knew his birth date)
Provenance: Original paper document kept in Smith > Carringer > Seaver family.


To summarize:

* Name: It appears that Devier J. Lamphier was adopted by Ranslow and Mary (Bell) Smith and changed his name to Devier J. (AKA D.J. or Devier James) Smith in 1866.

* Birth Date: The Family Bible in Devier J. Smith's own hand says 7 May 1842, and his gravestone says 1842. All census records say 1839-1840, and his wife's notes say 7 May 1839.

* Birth Place: The Ranslow Smith family resided in Henderson, Jefferson County, NY in 1840. All census records but 1885 Kansas State Census say he was born in New York; 1885 Kansas State Census says born in Ohio.

It's an interesting research problem, isn't it? Do you agree with my analysis and evaluation of the sources, information and evidence?

My next post will provide my correlation of the evidence conflicts in the information presented.

My thanks to the commenters in the first two posts - I will pursue each of those research avenues. What other sources might I find to help me resolve the conflicts in evidence noted above?

1 comment:

djcummins said...

For your comment "surely Devier J Smith know his own birth date"
I would think this is a huge assumption. My assumption would be that he "thinks" this is his birthday. Who told him and when? I have some family ancestors where I am sure they didn't know their date of birth. Perhaps because of educational or cultural backgrounds, but perhaps also because they didn't need to know in the ways we do today. (No birth certificate needed to start school, etc.) And of course he could be absolutely correct, it is just the assumption that I would have concerns about.