Suzanne Rickett Davis (waynedavis75 @t cableone.net) of Aransas Pass, Texas, USA, says: I am researching my family history, have a James George Rickett born 4 April 1778 Bovingdon, Hertfordshire England. I am trying to trace the family  farther back but cannot locate any info on them. I know James Parents were Henry and Ellen Rickett - and Henry's Parents were Mary and John Rickett. Have found two families in this area, have same names birthdates and children But, two different last names one List John and Mary Rycout, and the Other John and Mary Rickett. How do I confirm they are the same family?

In a later message Suzanne provided further information on later generations and says I am very new at this and appreciate all the help you might be willing to give.

I suspect that your problem is that you have not realised the importance of checking your sources, and verifying information where appropriate, and I believe at least some of the information you have provided is unreliable.

To answer your question fully needs sight of the Bovingdon parish registers, which you should be able to access on microfilm at your nearest LDS Family History Centre (address on familysearch). The baptismal registers between 1703 and 1885 are indexed on the British Vital Records Index and I am afraid that the index does not show any record for the birth/baptism of  any James George Rickett born 4 April 1778 - but there is a James Rickett, born 10 June 1786, baptised 8 October 1786, the son of Joseph and Mary Rickett - and many other children born to the same couple - and later generations are well represented.

If you look at the IGI on Familysearch your James George Rickett is listed at Bovingdon - together with other references such as James Ricket born "About 1789, of Watford" and James Rickett born "About 1781 of Bovingdon". There are other similar Rickett entries - none of which correspond with the parish register index. All are from family trees submitted by members of the church and my experience suggests there are so many quite obviously incorrect entries on the file that such "submitted" entries MUST ALWAYS BE CHECKED. The same applied to any family trees supplied from other sources. (You may be able to arrange to see a microfilm of the family research which mentions James George Rickett at your nearest LDS Family History Centre - which could clarify the situation.

There is little point in advising on James George Rickett's parents when there must be doubts as to the accuracy of the information you have about him. You should take another look at your family tree and work out what are the oldest entries which you can link to the present day with known reliable sources, and concentrate on working back from what is definitely known, checking the relevant sources are each stage.

I have just posted a new advice page Sources and Reliability which you may find useful, and which links to several other relevant pages.

March 2005

Brian (hogg_kwt@yahoo.com) writes James Rickett [Born Bovingdon] and Family occurs in all 4 Bovingdon Censi 1841-1871. He died 1873/March Quarter Age 94 which is compatible with the Familysearch Birth Date of 04/04/1778. 

However the familysearch date is NOT a primary source and there is no indication where it comes from. Someone may have know his birth day as 4th April and calculated his birth year from, for example, his reported age at death. What is clear is that he appears not to be listed in the Bovingdon register - so when on earth did the information come from.