Scope of the Project

I can best explain what the project represents by first telling you what the project does not do. (1) This document does not attempt to correct all the errors in the book or all of Shourds' work. It has relied on contributions of interested researchers and the research of the compilers of the two versions. As a result, there is a certain randomness in selecting what would be corrected according to the interests and expertise of those who chose to participate. Many more corrections will likely be found. In the case of some families, no adjustments at all have been made. (2) It does not rely solely on original documentation. It would be desirable to consult all the original deeds, wills, and other transactions that provide the best support for genealogical claims. However, trying to fully document 70 families at once is impossible. As a result, the work of reliable genealogists who do consult original materials has been called upon most often. (3) As I have alluded to, the work is not complete. As with most internet documents, it is work in progress, but that is a desirable motif for this project. I feel that no genealogy is ever "done." It must hold up to continuing scrutiny. The same holds for this work. New evidence to support or refute the claims made herein are welcome. (4) Although I hope the information is more reliable than what it replaces, there is no warranty that anything stated within is correct or suitable for any particular purpose. In fact, I have included an extensive bibliography to direct researchers of Salem County, NJ, families to useful sources. This document is a starting place--I hope a good one--for serious researchers.

What you will find, in accord with the request of 1895, is a list of page and line numbers where discrepancies have been detected. The large column carries the corrected account complete with documentation for the claim. Refer to the sources in the bibliography to read more about the topic. Where Jim Acton drew conclusions about the data, his initials, "JNA," appear. My judgments are signified by "GJB." Any item that is new since the 1977 print version bears an asterisk in the third column. Moreover, any item from the previous version that was significantly altered or augmented also bears the asterisk. Items that I have checked the documentation to are marked in the column on the right. The mark indicates that I have judged that the documents do indeed support the statement. Items without the mark are proposed corrections by researchers. I have not checked documentation to these entries or am currently unable to substantiate the claim by other means. If anyone can check on these, that would accelerate the project. On occasion, italicized comments for undocumented items are interspersed. I talk to myself sometimes.

People Who Helped

The greatest debt goes to Jim Acton, who not only compiled the original that this version was based on, but also collected and evaluated corrections for nearly two decades after publishing the 1977 version. He has also assisted me on occasion, providing advice, charts, and helpful comments. Librarian Alice Boggs deserves the blame for duping me into taking on this project. In payment, she has gathered supplies and provided assistance to accommodate my work at the Salem County Historical Society. Cyril Bleistine helped sort out some of the initial collection of materials. Cindy Marshall, Ginny X, XXX, and XXx helped prepare the bibliography. Although they were my students at Salem Community College, they volunteered their time after class to employ some of the skills they learned to launch this project. Valerie Caulfield kindly offered to proofread my writing. Many people sent in corrections. I could never reconstruct the entire list, but some of them were Mary Ann Harris, Ann Nicholson, Dr. Harlan Buzby, Ruth Hall Brooks, Doris Tice, Walt Williams, and apologies to the rest.

This page created by and copyrighted by Glenn J. Bingham July 16, 1998.