How can Perry P. Billings be linked to Joseph Billings and Sarah Belcher as their son?
I am trying to understand how Perry P. Billings (Died 1865) was identified as the son of Joseph Billings and Sarah Belcher. None of the posted sources indicate this, and none of the Vermont birth records mention that they had a son named Perry. His grave indicates a birth in 1792, but the Vermont records list other children's name around that year (and throughout the 1790's). Bible lists of the whole family do not mention Perry. Somehow, FamilySearch linked them but I do not see any evidence of that. Census indicates he was born in Vermont, but I do not see any more support than that. Can anyone clarify this connection?
Answers
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@Blake8457 Please provide the PID for Perry P Billings Thank you
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@maryellenstevensbarnes1 It's easy enough to search using the supplied information:
That shows that Perry P. Billings has the ID L8QX-6VR
@Blake8457 I know that the change log attributes the addition of those parents to Perry P. Billings to "FamilySearch", but that happened in 2012, which is when Family Tree was created from a variety of datasets such as New FamilySearch. The contributors to New FamilySearch were just regular users like you and me, but in the transition from that old data model to an entirely new data model, contributor information was not carried over, and so it is simply attributed to "FamilySearch." Unfortunately no supporting sources were carried over, either. So it is up to us to find such sources.
I treat conclusions (including relationships) that came from the original Family Tree as interesting clues that might lead to source records that actually prove the conclusions, but completely unproven until such sources are found. So you're doing the right thing in searching for source records yourself and collaborating with others to see what information they might be able to produce to confirm or deny this data that is currently in Family Tree.
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Two of the recent contributors to Perry are quite active in the Family Search Community so I'm sure that if you messaged them through the Chat system the three of you could have a good discussion about his parentage.
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Thank you all for this feedback. It helps me see how to search this information most efficiently and gives me some clarity on where the information has come from. I did have one quick chat with an individual who had posted on Perry - who also mentioned the 2012 attribution to FamilySearch, though I did not realize the background. I shall continue to pursue the "interesting clues".
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@Blake8457 Given the timeframe the family of Joseph and Sarah Billings has some pretty good documentation in particular Bible records and one/two vital records. Nowhere to be found is any reference to 'Perry'. Everyone else shown is fairly solid. I see numerous Ancestry trees with this family 'connection' for Perry, but to my eyes anyway, pretty suspect
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