16 September 2012

Updating A Discrepancy Chart for Ira

I've blogged about this discrepancy chart before, but I realized I never bothered to update it with "new" information on Ira. Regular readers know that I'm a big fans of charts and tables for organization.

Here's part of the original post (and the discrepancy chart):


 Based upon the records used in the chart, a reasonable birth date estimate would be between 1840 and 1845.
Record
Birth date
Birthplace
Age
Informant
Information Type
Death Certificate, 1916 Peoria County, Illinois
Ca. 1840/1841 (estimated from age-birth date not stated on record)
Unknown
75 years
Hospital records
Secondary
1880 Census, Hancock County, Illinois
Ca. 1844/1845 (estimated from age)
Canada
35 years

Secondary
1900 Census, Hancock County, Illinois
March 1843
Canada F.
57 years

Secondary
1910 Census, Peoria County, Illinois
Ca. 1841/1842
Not listed
68 years
Probably Hospital records
Secondary
1883 Marriage to Martha PHELPS, Adams County, Illinois
Ca. 1842/1843
Not listed
40 years

Secondary
Adams County, Illinois Poor House Records, August 1907
Ca. 1844
Canada
"about 63 years"

Secondary
Insanity Case, Adams County, Illinois, September 1907
Ca. 1843/1844
Not listed
63 years

Secondary
Insanity Case, Adams County, Illinois, September 1905
Ca. 1838/1839
Canada
66 years

Secondary


It turns out, based upon information contained in the widow's Civil War pension of Ira's sister Emmar (Sargent) Osenbaugh, that Ira was likely born near Darlington, Ontario, Canada in the early 1840s. Emmar would be a secondary source for her brother's place of birth, and actually, she never says anything about her brother specifically other than to say that he exists.

I need to add the information from Emmar to the chart and I really need to add a column for how much credence I give to each specific piece of information--not every statement listed in the chart can be viewed with the same level of confidence.

I've solved the question of Ira's parents. However, based upon what few records the family left I may not be able to pinpoint Ira's place or date of birth precisely.

In this situation, like many, it is about establishing relationships and connections. Precision with regards to time and place of birth may never be achieved.

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