Why It’s Important to Verify Multiple Sources in Genealogy

If you’re researching your family history, it’s important to know that one record is never enough. Why? Because to err is human and even when great care is taken, mistakes can still happen. Sometimes names are misspelt and birthdates misheard by census takers, meaning that if you’re relying on a single source, you could be building your family tree on erroneous information. 

This unavoidable fact is why genealogists always cross-check multiple records in order to ensure that every minute detail is backed up. It’s a process that ensures accuracy while also helping to uncover a richer picture of what your ancestors’ lives were actually like. 

The Danger of Relying on a Single Record

A mistake that many genealogy newcomers make is to take documents they find at face value – assuming that official records can’t be wrong. The reality is that they can. In fact, historical records are full of human error because of a wide range of reasons. For instance, some of your ancestors might have deliberately lied about their age so that they could enlist in the army early during times of war.

Others may have changed their name when emigrating in order to blend into their new surroundings. Simply put, if you don’t verify the information you find across multiple sources, you could mistakenly add the wrong person to your tree.

DNA testing can reveal fascinating and meaningful family connections, often uncovering stories that add richness to your personal history. Many people discover unexpected biological relationships, reconnecting with lost relatives or gaining deeper insight into their ancestry. 

These tests can also confirm and strengthen family bonds, helping you understand exactly how much DNA you share with your parents, siblings, and extended relatives.

Other Examples of Why You Should Always Verify Multiple Sources

In our experience, there are countless reasons why genealogy records are taken incorrectly and when this happens, it can lead to entire branches of your family tree being built on false information. So, let’s take a look at some common pitfalls and how checking your sources can prevent them. 

Census Records & Age Discrepancies

When attempting to track people over time, census records represent a valuable resource, however, they’re not always accurate. For example, someone might be recorded as being 30 in one census and then shown to be just 35 a decade later. This might happen because…

• Census takers often got details about people from their neighbors or relatives, meaning there were frequent errors. As such, it was common practice to round ages up or down when they were recorded. 
• As well as lying about their age to sign up and fight, people would also exaggerate their age so they could marry without their parents’ consent. 

How to Verify: If you want to confirm a person’s real age, you should compare the census data with things like birth certificates, gravestones and baptismal records. MyHeritage.com makes this easy with our historical record search engine. It’s a great feature that allows you to access additional information about the person you’re researching. 

Name Variations & Spelling Errors

The standardized spelling of surnames began during the 1800s, and before then, they often appeared differently across various documents. For instance, someone with the name McGregor could easily be recorded as “McGrigor”, “MacGregor” or even “Gregory”. As such, if you rely on one record, you might miss an ancestor completely or assume that someone simply doesn’t exist. 

How to Verify: These sorts of errors can be rectified by comparing multiple documents such as marriage certificates, wills, property deeds and military service records. Understanding the types of documents you should search to find ancestors can be a real game-changer. 

Conflicting Data in Online Family Trees

Many choose to use online family trees, as they’re convenient and easy to access. However, because humans are involved, they too contain many errors, particularly due to users copying and pasting incorrect information into them from other unverified sources. 

You could find that one family tree lists a relative’s birth year as 1850, while another says 1852. Which one is right? Conflicting details like these can be frustrating when searching for biological relatives or confirming family connections. For more on this, check out our blog dedicated to it. 

How to Verify: Instead of taking either piece of data at face value, you should cross-check these details with multiple census entries, and baptismal records, as well as marriage and death certificates. 

Helping You to Piece Together Your True Family Story

Uncovering the stories of your ancestors’ lives is both exciting and heartwarming in equal measure – but it does come with some challenges. As we’ve seen when you rely on a single record, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, as it can lead to misinterpretations and entirely incorrect family branches. 

However, when you check any information you find through multiple sources, you can ensure that your family tree is built on accurate and well-documented evidence.

With one of the largest and fastest-growing historical record databases, MyHeritage makes it easier than ever to discover your roots and connect with your biological relatives. Our tools allow you to cross-reference records, explore family trees, and even receive alerts when DNA matches are found. With our help, you can get a clearer, more complete picture of your heritage.