Don't send Temple work hints for people with highly suspicious links to the hint recipient.

Jackson Pemberton

I just received an invitation to do work for one James C. Carothers [L251-GQ7], the child of Elzira Mount Taylor [9KB8-PNT] who is the alleged daughter of Rachel Van Camp [LC8Z-GH6] and James Taylor [LHRD-NRB] my direct ancestor. I checked on this and found Elzira was born to Rachel (James' second wife) before his first wife (Elspet Malcolm [K2QQ-X83]) died and two years before Rachel married James. There is definitely something wrong here.

I am probably not supposed to do work for James Carothers.

I would rather get a hint for a suspicious link.

Thanks for all the wonderful work you guys do!!!

Gordon Collett

There is probably no way for any computer routine to sort out these kind of issues. All the computer can do is look for blatant, pre-programmed data errors such as being born after one died.

For the person you got the hint for, there is nothing in the data you posted to say there is anything incorrect. People tend to have affairs with people they know. People tend to marry people they know. Potentially the only thing wrong here is that people have flaws in their behavior.

You do bring up a very good point, however, which is that we should take responsibility for any temple work we plan on completing and check family relationships, check sources, and make sure all the information on a record is correct and not just grab a green icon or even a name from Ordinances Ready and complete work without a single glance at the person's information.

Now, looking at the Family Tree record, there is more information you did not post that does clearly show there may be significant problems with this family and the need for complete evaluation of who these people are and who is really referred to in all the sources. The person pages currently shows James having a child born to his first wife March 1873 in Quebec and a child born to his second wife April 1873 in Ohio. While this is neither biologically nor socially impossible and so should not be programmed into any routine as an error, it is much more unlikely than if both children had been born in the same town in Ohio. You do have some work cut out for you. Good Luck! First thing to find is a record that states who Elzira's mother is. Second thing to try and sort out is whether the record for James is correct or if someone has combined the records for two different James Taylors.