Public trees are helpful from the standpoint of clues. That is my 'word to the wise' for all new researchers. What I find I back up with court documents: birth/baptism/marriage/death records, deeds, wills, orphan court documents. Even these may have inconsistencies but when I back these up with newspapers clippings and sites like Find A Grave.com I put the clues together to form my conclusion.
Another 'word to the wise' is this - research and join select societies that can provide you with the links and documents needed to back up your trees not to mention worthwhile informational webinars and seminars. My most valuable resource was a German-American who had subscriptions to German databases. I shared with him what I knew yet needed to confirm and he sent me the German church records with translations! Having this important starting point solidified what I was reading on public trees.
Skipping ahead to the end of 2022 my binders are full, my external drive is filled to capacity, and I have enough data to begin writing in 2023 about this intriguing family.
More later in 2024. Happy hunting and let me know if we are related.
