Barking Up the Wrong Tree: You Can't Have It Both Ways

10 July 2012

You Can't Have It Both Ways

Comments after the jump.

EMMA A. SMITH

Born to Carlisle Smith & Zilpha B. Harvey

Date: abt 1848

Place: New York

Census

Date: 12 Jul 1850

Place: Bangor, Franklin, New York 2 born New York

Death

Date: 7 Dec 1850

Census

Date: 2 Aug 1860

Place: Franklin, Bangor New York 10 born New York living with Charles and Polly Smith

Education

Date: 2 Aug 1860

Place: In School

Marriage to Revillo M. Amidon

Date: 20 Feb 1884

ⓑⓐⓡⓚⓘⓝⓖ ⓤⓟ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓦⓡⓞⓝⓖ ⓣⓡⓔⓔ

Yes, it's yet another zombie. In fairness there does seem to be some information in the records that confuses matters. However, either she died in 1850 or she didn't. You can't have it both ways. Let's see if we can figure out where this went wrong.

The census records for these Smiths...

Both are Bangor, Franklin, New York

1850 Carlisle 26, Zilpha 28, Lorenzo D. 5, Emma A. 2

1860 Charles 23, Polly 28, Rhoda 27, Jesse 68, Rhoda 68, Emma 10, Lorenzo 16

Jesse and Rhoda in the 1860 census are Carlisle's parents. So here are possibilities for the first three names in relation to Jesse and Rhoda:

1) Three children

2) A son, a daughter-in-law, and a daughter

3) A son and two daughters-in-law

None of those can be dismissed from looking only at the 1860 census. There's just not enough information. Then there are the last two children. Judging from their ages the logical conclusion would be, "They are grandchildren of Jesse and Rhoda's." Of course nothing in the 1860 census would indicate who their parents are but Emma's mother, Zilpha, died in 1855 so it sounds like Emma didn't die in 1850, right? She and her brother Lorenzo are the two children in the 1860 household, right? But wait, there's more ;-)

Next to Zilpha in the North Bangor Cemetery (Bangor, Franklin County, New York) a stone reads, "EMMA A. daughter of C. & Z. SMITH Died Dec. 7, 1850 Aged 3 years [illegible] mos. 18 days." If you are an Ancestry.com subscriber you can click HERE, or for Mundia click HERE, to see a photo of her tombstone and read about it being found.

Hat tip to Nora for the heads up about this profile ;-)

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And finally from Les, "You truly are a horrible woman, pointing out mistakes is one thing but blatantly laughing and taking the p is completely out of order."

Why?

Researching our family histories we are bound to make mistakes. Hopefully we are quick to correct them. Unfortunately some people refuse to read or think before adding information to their family trees. Some trees have been abandoned so the errors are there for eternity. Here we will laugh, mock and shake our heads at the carelessness, stupidity and/or ignorance of those errors.
All examples are taken from trees published online.
I'll also post tips occasionally, though the messed up trees are a great example of what NOT to do.
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