Collaborative Research Logging & Documentation

Here begins an experiment in documenting genealogical research. This blog is intended as a spot where descendants of Isaac Brough Law can collaborate, discuss, and document the events of his life and then extend beyond his life to his ancestry and his descendants.

Let's begin with his birth. My records indicate the following:

Isaac Brough Law
birthdate: 17 May 1862
birthplace: Springville, Utah, Utah Territory, USA
father: Charles Law
mother: Susan Juchau Price

NOTE: LDS Church Historical Dept, Bear Lake Stake, Paris 2nd Ward Record of Mmber lib film #16245 shows date of birth 18 May 1862. Historical Department library film #16244 Part 1 pg 6 line 132, Bear Lake Stake, Paris 2nd Ward Record shows his date of birth as 17 May 1862. We have chosen to use 17 May 1862.

What sources should we cite for Isaac's birth?

The ward historical records referenced above are listed in the Church Archive's catalog and the Family History Library's catalog in two completely different ways (and neither agree with the note given above)

The LDS Church Archive's record for these films is given in the following manner:

Author: Paris 2nd Ward, Bear Lake Stake
Title: Manuscript history and historical reports 1877-1970
Call Number: LR 6740 2
Access Number: 287229-ARCH

The Family History Library also has a copy of this microfilm. Their catalog record looks like this:

Author: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Paris 2nd Ward (Idaho)
Title: Annual genealogical report, Form E, 1907-1948; record of members, [1877?]-1941
Record of members [1877]-1941 -- FHL US/CAN Film 7178
Form E 1907-1948 -- FHL US/CAN Film 7179

I have omitted a lot of extraneous data on each of these--just given the most salient details. It's interesting to me that nothing is the same: authors, titles, or call numbers. When citing this source, I am torn as to how to cite this item. I want to cite the Church Archive's form since they are the actual repository of the original documents; however, the FHL film is much more readily available (through 4,000 Family History Centers worldwide). Citing both would be an alternative but would also make the citation much larger, more unwieldy, and perhaps more confusing.

These ward records are not the best evidence of birth that one could hope for. This record was retrospectively compiled many years after the event. The birth occurred in Springville, Utah in 1862 and was recorded in Paris, Idaho in 1877 or sometime later. I'm sure that there have been searches in the Springville records for evidence of this birth (I seem to recall even doing this myself at one point or another). I think I'll undertake it one more time and record definitively what records I searched and what I did or didn't find concerning this birth.

Is anyone aware of any family bible or other family documents which might give Isaac's date of birth?

There are other documents which would provide Isaac's birthdate and/or place of birth:

1870 census indicates he was 8 years old in June of 1870 (placing his birth between 2 Jun 1861 and 1 Jun 1862).

1880 census would give a similar approximate year but I haven't been able to find him in this census.

1900 census indicates he was born in May 1861 and was 39 years old in June of 1900 (placing his birth between 2 Jun 1860 and 1 Jun 1861).

1910 census gives his age as 47 years in April 1910 (placing his birth between 16 Apr 1862 and 15 Apr 1863).

Anyone have a photo of his headstone?

Anyone know of other contemporary documents which might give his birthdate?