GenMassachusetts-L Archives

Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2004-04 > 1081667748


From: "Dale H. Cook" <>
Subject: Re: [GM-L] First Settlers
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 03:15:48 -0400
References: <BAY3-F6m6DKdu3cgPJD0002da1b@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <BAY3-F6m6DKdu3cgPJD0002da1b@hotmail.com>


At 01:29 AM 4/11/04, Richard Dalton wrote:

>I've been reviewing some data that I've seen at Ancestry.com and
>Rootsweb.com and both have researchers listing birth dates for people such
>as 1610, 1612, 1614 and the like in Massachusetts and Connecticut for the
>Birge and Gaylord families which I descend from.
>
>Historically, I don't recall any settlers/pilgrims from England being in
>Massachusetts before the Mayflower in 1620???
>
>Did I miss something?

Richard -

No, you've just come across some of the bad data that is all too prevalent
on the web. Unless each and every event listed on a page is documented with
a full source citation, including volume and page, I would be wary of it.
Even with a full source citation I would verify the citation before
assigning the data any value higher than "questionable" in my database.

>I'd like to send them all a note that their data is erroneous -- but I'm
>just going on my memory of history and the first pilgrims with the
>Mayflower in 1620???

There were, of course, settlers in Jamestown VA beginning in 1607, but you
are correct - the first European settlers in New England arrived in 1620. I
happen to have as an ancestor the one man whose descendants qualify for
membership in both the Jamestowne Society and the General Society of
Mayflower Descendants. <g>

I have given up trying to correct such misinformation. Most of it seems to
come from folks who pride themselves on the number of people posted on
their site, and not on the accuracy of the data about those people.

Dale H. Cook; Research Member, NEHGS; Member, Mass. Soc. Mayf. Desc.
http://members.cox.net/dalehcook/oldcolony.shtml


This thread: