A person’s network helps distinguish namesakes and interpret moves. It gains evidential value when independent records connect the same people.
The method, step by step
- Record secondary names as well as the principal person. Note role, age, occupation, address and explicitly stated kinship; leave unstated fields blank.
- Create a table: person, event, date, role, source. Keep namesakes in separate rows; encountering a name twice does not establish identity.
- Look for recurrence in other records or censuses. Witnesses appearing at many marriages may serve professionally; frequency does not imply kinship with every couple.
- Turn each connection into a testable question: seek a witness’s marriage, address or a record naming parents. Conclude separately about identity, contact and kinship.
Record in your research log
- Witness
- role
- record
- address
- explicit or assumed link.
Frequently asked questions
Is a witness with the same surname a relative?
Not necessarily. Seek an explicit relationship or a connecting record. Names, occupations and addresses support comparison but cannot establish kinship alone.
Sources & references
- FamilySearch Research Wiki ↗ (Resource review date : )
- FranceArchives ↗ (Resource review date : )