John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 825

The accuracy of secondary reference sources for history and genealogy is generally not good.  Some time back, I went through what had been written about the history of the Germanna Colonies, pointing out things that were in error, and where they might have originated.  Recently, on the Spotswood list, there was a discussion of the accuracy of books which give some Spotswood history.

The book by Charles Campbell, "Genealogy of the Spotswood Family in Scotland and Virginia," was published by Joel Munsell Press in Albany, New York in 1868.  A writer spotts@nr.infi.net says that he has a copy of the book and it is fairly accurate regarding the Governor and his descendants, but the earlier history is dubious.  Ultimately, the references are to early genealogies such as one Douglas published in his " Baronage ."  Little reliance should be placed on the statements in this work, where the material submitted for publication was intended, principally, to magnify the importance of the Scottish gentry.  Douglas accepted for publication anything submitted to him, and the families submitting the material were not bashful about extravagant claims.

Since there was social esteem in an extended genealogy, they were invented.  Some families, of less imagination, just copied other families' genealogies.

The tendency is to think that genealogies from the Peerage, or the Baronage, or similar books, are of better quality.  In actuality, there was more at stake here which led to greater incentives to manufacture one's family history.  And, the publishers had one motive, which was to sell books.  They had no scruples about publishing fiction.  Some of the things that were published were worse than our " glory volumes " when it came to certitude.

A work which is copied unquestionably from others is probably not worth the media on which it appears.