Secondary sources of all different types can provide clues that can help in your genealogical research. The trick is in being able to interpret them correctly.
Here's a paragraph from the book Haunted Heritage by Michael Norman and Beth Scott. This comes from page 24, the chapter called "A Revolutionary Haunting."
"John Hale emulated his father in many ways. Born in 1748, he died shortly after Deacon Hale in 1802. Like his father, John became a deacon of the church and served in various public offices. From 1791 to 1802, he was a delegate to sixteen sessions of the Connecticut General Assembly. He served as a justice of the peace, town clerk and treasurer for many terms between 1786 and his death. Earlier, he was a lieutenant in the Revolution's Knowlton Rangers."
Secondary sources may or may not be accurate.
THE CHALLEGE (if you so choose to accept it!):
How would you go about learning about John Hale? What records or record groups would you use to confirm the information provided as well the information you can infer from this paragraph?
Leave your answers in the comments.
I will post my answer tomorrow. Please note, you don't need to know anything about Connecticut to answer this challenge (though of course it will make it easier). It would be helpful to be familiar with American genealogical resources, but again, not absolutely necessary. This is a just a challenge for a bit of fun and to get you thinking.
Photo Credit: Photo by cliff1066 and used under the creative commons license.
