Saturday 25 April 2015

What changing a letter can uncover

Twice in the last month I've had reason to review past research that had come to a full stop.
One because of a contact on WikiTree who had connected up another branch of the FAIRBAIRNs, the other from a post on my guestbook that I've only just noticed.
Both led me to review the families concerned in my database to see what might now be available.

The first made me realise that although a marriage certificate was indexed as HIGGINS, and clearly to me even on a reread, stated the husband of Elizabeth FAIRBAIRN was a Thomas HIGGINS, it was actually WIGGINS.
No wonder I got nowhere trying to find what happened to them after their marriage!
Thank you Bill for uploading data on the WIGGINS - happy to have helped untangle the two related Elizabeths.

The second correction was from bad arithmetic on my part and a blurry certificate.
Carrie May FAIRBAIRN married in Toronto in 1914 to, I interpreted, a Charles D COWIS.
The COWIS instead of COWIE I have an excuse for as it was rather unclear. Marrying him off at 16 instead of 26 when the 26 was clear enough on the cert. however I do not have an excuse for at all.
Again, amazing how people are more easily found when you have a more correct age, and surname.

Time I updated RootsWeb WorldConnect database LornaHenderson methinks.