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Oral histories can be very helpful. Make sure to ask grandpa, grandma, aunts, cousins, etc before it is too late. Also make sure to see what written documents they may have. However, treat the information you get by word of mouth as clues, not fact! Oral histories can be wrought with errors.
Most families were not very creative when naming children. Even as far back as the 1600's there were dozens of Stil/lwell's named Samuel, John, James, Nicholas etc., so don't automatically assume that the Samuel you find is the Sam you are looking for.
Don't believe everything you read in print or find on the internet! Just because it is in print does not make it true. A huge amount of early (and new) research has proven to be inaccurate. This same rule applies to information you read in Obituaries and Biographical Sketches in County Histories. These are excellent sources of information and clues, just be aware they are often fraught with errors and typos. Always try to verify the information you find in primary sources...the more sources the better!
Primary sources allow you to get as close as possible to the historical figure or event. They are original records created at the time the event occurred. A few examples of primary records are: bibles, letters, birth certificates, etc. Be forewarned, mistakes do occur in primary sources.
DON'T ASSUME! For instance: You find two Stil/lwell families in the same county and you automatically want to assume they are related in some fashion. They may well be, but prove it, don't assume it. This occurs quite frequently because of similar migration patterns.
MOST IMPORTANTLY! FIND AN EXPERT ON STIL/LWELL RESEARCH! The best way to do this is to join the R U Stil/lwell? Newsletter. The Stil/lwell database has thousands of Stil/lwells and their descendants already documented. If your line is not already included, it usually just requires some research to get your line back to the mid to late 1800's to connect with one of the Stil/lwell documented lines. Why spend hundreds of dollars repeating research that has already been done?
E-mail your questions or comments about the R U Stil/lwell? Newsletter Web Site to:
WebMaster
2 April, 2004
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