CONGRATULATIONS
to
Bev Henderson UE upon proving her Loyalist Ancestor Michael MERKLEY UEL
Michael was a soldier in the Second Battalion of KRRNY and settled in Williamsburg Township.
Neil Summers UE has proven John P. Shaver UEL and Adam Fralick UEL
His Loyalist Ancestors settled in Matilda Township
The Genealogists Corner
By: A. A. Walchuk
Oct 2018
The Genealogical Proof Argument
Aka “the GPA”
As Genealogical standards of evidence become stricter, we often find ourselves in difficulty trying to link one generation to another. When it comes to our Loyalist Ancestors, this often happens when we try to link the children of the Loyalist to the grandchildren. This is particularly true in the early to mid-1800’s.
Failing to find ‘Primary Source Documentation,’ we are left trying to build a ‘Genealogical Proof Argument.’
When: We are unable to find primary source documents (evidence) linking a child to his/her parents
How: We look for as many secondary source documents as possible. This includes looking at your ancestor’s siblings.
Why: The sibling’s records may include primary source documents that name their parents. We then need to prove the relationship between the siblings. We use as many documents as possible to prove that your Ancestor’s parents and their sibling’s parents are the same.
Where: Where do we look? Vital Statistics wills and land transfers are all Primary Source Evidence. Family Bibles can be Primary OR Secondary sources, depending numerous factors; the bible must be older than the first entry in it and penmanship and handwriting should change as generations go on Secondary Sources include census returns, newspapers, cemetery records and tombstones, family histories and community histories.
Conclusion: The documents you find will determine how you will write your GPA. Use the best documents you can find as and some hold more evidence than others.
A well-crafted, logical GPA will often establish that there is only ONE logical conclusion: that the two people are indeed related.