Let me start out by saying that I know that there must be mistakes in the information that I have gathered here on this site. Errors can creep in at so many places including the person initially supplying vital information, or the officials who recorded it. It could be copied or transcribed from the original improperly; it could be erroneously used in an article or book, or the typesetter could have made an error. Of course, I could be the culprit and have made a mistake in taking my notes or publishing the information here on this website.

The entire business from beginning to end is fraught with human error. I have found errors in several recorded vital records. My grandfather, John Downs, has his name misspelled on his official birth record. They have “Downs” spelled with an “e” rendering it “Downes.”

I have done everything in my power to keep the errors out. I am meticulous in the way I gather information, searching out the most original sources I can find, and I question everything that passes through my hands. It always amazes me how people can continuously copy information over and over again that just can’t be true. I have seen cases of a woman getting married at age 10 and having her first baby at age 12. Others have copied this information over and over again. No one along the way looked at the dates to see if it all made sense.

If you find what you believe to be an error, or an omission, on any of these pages, please bring it to my attention. I won’t be offended if you do. I do ask that you first check the Myths and Misconceptions page. Many sources are being published today that still publish mistakes made over a century ago. Also, note that I have not included many items that are accepted in some circles because I feel the proof is not strong enough yet.

If you find an error, email me at the address at the bottom of this page. I may check my notes and sources, and see it was an error on my part. I may also ask for your sources so I can adequately document everything, since I may be correcting a mistake in an otherwise reliable source. I may even list you as the source if this is appropriate.

There is plenty here that I have merely compiled and not worked on directly. However, anything that I personally research, try to solve or delve into deeply, I report using a high standard of proof.  You can visit the Standards page of their site here. This doesn’t mean that I won’t publish conjecture, but when I do, it will be clearly labeled as such. I often write about theories, so others have some information to start with if they wish to look deeper into a given subject. But I always state plainly my uncertainty of the facts.

If you come across any broken links, please email us at bill@downsgenealogy.com.