Methods
Compare Marriage, Census, Church, and Pension Evidence
This field note is part of the FOBA learning stream. It is meant to orient readers and point toward better source work.
Key points
- Relationship claims get stronger when records agree for the same reason, not merely because the names look familiar.
- Marriage records, census entries, church records, and pension testimony each answer different questions.
- A careful comparison table shows where the records support, conflict, or leave a claim open.
Next steps
- Make one row per relationship claim and one row per source.
- Copy exact wording before summarizing it.
- Use citation-needed or needs-review labels when names, dates, places, or relationships conflict.
Source trail
- FOBA Marriage Registers and Cohabitation Records – Internal marriage and cohabitation toolkit entry.
- FOBA Source Tables for Disputed Family Claims – Internal comparison-table guide.