tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post4499847397161189336..comments2024-03-21T19:08:05.737-07:00Comments on Genealogy's Star: Towards a rational definition of brick walls in genealogyJames Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989059644120454647noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-79931811565869287812009-09-09T05:57:13.699-07:002009-09-09T05:57:13.699-07:00James -
This has been a fascinating discussion so...James -<br /><br />This has been a fascinating discussion so far. I agree with you that most genealogists (usually beginners) do not quite understand the concept of brickwalls. Most people consider a brickwall that point where they cannot locate "any" information to solve their problem. Usually this is due to (1) not conducting a "reasonably exhaustive" search, or (2) ignorance of the records that DO exist for a certain time or place. The case of Brisco is a gray area in terms of its definition of a "true" brickwall. I will not claim to be completely familiar with the full case (though I do look forward to reading George's forthcoming article), but from the information provided I would not classify the search for Brisco's death certificate a brickwall <i>per se</i>, because a search in the right place/time period would have produced the record. The circumstances that led to this record being located was that the Missouri State Archives (1) gained possession of the death certificate, (2) indexed the death certificates, and (3) put the index online. These circumstances changed the convenience of access, which led to the record being located, but could not a more exhaustive search have turned the record up prior to this ease of access? Sure, it may have taken sitting down with the death certificates in a major city and going through them month by month, but it <i>could</i> have been done.<br /><br />(George, by no means am I knocking your research methods - I would not have likely done that either.) But does this qualify as a BRICKWALL, simply because ease of access to the correct records was lacking?Michael Haithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17838947327022663525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-53896093302288323182009-09-08T10:43:20.819-07:002009-09-08T10:43:20.819-07:00Hi James,
Thank you for discussing my quest for B...Hi James,<br /><br />Thank you for discussing my quest for Brisco. His story has many gaps in time periods and I'm still searching. However, at least I know when and where he died. I also placed a gravestone there because it was the right thing to do.<br /><br />There's more to the story, and I've submitted an article to <i>Ancestry</i> Magazine for later this year about him. <br /><br />George G. MorganGeorge G. Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15188120990078062574noreply@blogger.com