Re: Early Finch Controversy
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In reply to:
Early Finch Controversy
12/09/98
I don't want to sound harsh, and I certainly am not writing this to John Spann Finch directly, but to all those whose responses have been posted - many quoting unpublished, and even unidentified, works which, probably themselves were quoting either Banks or Thummel.
I am a little concerned here because it seems that people are less concerned with finding the TRUTH than with having a nice, pat genealogy.The answer to the question "What is the proof that the Great Migration is correct and that Banks and Thummel are now incorrect?" is that if you read the Great Migration, it tells you the reason.If you read Jacobus Lines works you will find that even he had many problems with the Finch genealogy.WE DO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS!If one finds that believing Great Migration over Thummel or Banks causes all your genealogy to be thrown into turmoil, then your genealogy is already in turmoil, and you did not know it.
I find as I research my Finch family more questions than I do answers.I find references to wives who were born after their supposed husband had died; a man married to a woman who would have been 54 when he married her, yet many children are ascribed to them.I find a woman buried well BEFORE she died, others buried long after their deaths, and at least one occasion where a son was married to his own mother.There are women who bore children before they were 5 years old, and men who fathered children several years after their death.I find trash on the internet which confuses fathers and sons - clearly showing dates which make their own case that the information is incorrect.
There has been a lot of sloppy genealogy done on this family.Many published genealogists have attempted to clarify by making invalid assumptions.The truth is, as is pointed out in "The Great Migration Begins", this family is NOT clear, and I submit, it may NEVER be clear.
If you WANT to believe that the information in Banks and Thummel are correct, then by all means, write it down.Just realize that if you publish it, your other work might be held as suspect by future generations of genealogists.Is that what you want?At the very least, you should prove that "Migration" is incorrect, or refute their arguments -- but don't just ignore them.That is the difference between a "genealogist" and a "surfer" -- which are you?
More Replies:
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Re: Early Finch Controversy
12/11/01