Prepared by Elisabeth Lindsay.
Vital records are of primary importance to family history researchers, in recording an event close to the time of its occurrence. Birth records are of particular importance for identifying not only the date and place of death, but also the parents, allowing researchers to extend their family tree and/or confirm relationships. Many types of records contain birth information such as military records, death records, census records,home and family sources, etc. And while such records may be of value in providing a date and place of birth and giving direction to the research, most are recorded long after the actual event and are subject to error. Even original source records may contain error, but more more so with records that have been compiled, transcribed, or abstracted. Thus, it is important to verify any conflict of information.