Detailed chronology is the foundation to brick wall demolition. Having just started a new blog on Cadwallader Jones, I was reminded how important this is in the documentation of facts. The very first item is such an example. {see: http://cadwalladerjones.blogspot.com } It documents a "Dower" release of Alice Corbin. It is dated "6th day of January 1672". In the text, it records that land transaction occurred "September 21st 1672..."! This would mean that the document was signed before the land transaction even occurred if one did not recognize the old system of dating. In addition, the item was recorded in the court records "4 die 9bris 1674", some one year after the action was taken. If one only looked at the date the item was recorded, it would be some two years after the event. What in the world is one to do?
All this is said to remind the genealogist, that a correct date is important in establishing the identity of many in the family tree. Reading and recording the dates appropriately is vital to breaking down many of those brick walls.
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