I found the following interesting regarding evaluating evidence when there
are discrepancies in the different data & facts. Maybe it will help
someone.
dale
When did grandpa die? The family Bible has May 31st, his
tombstone June 1st, the death certificate June 1st, and the Civil
War pension application has May 31st.
Apply the rules of genealogical evidence: consistency,
directness, and origin (CDO). Is the evidence consistent with
what already is known -- support it, refute it, or is it neutral?
Is the evidence a direct statement of fact or implied? How did
the evidence originate -- was it recorded at the same time as
the event by a witness, or later from second-hand knowledge?
All of this evidence is direct. The Bible supports May 31st, but
who wrote it? The tombstone refutes it; who told the stonecutter?
The official record refutes it, but is secondary evidence from a
non-witness.
The pension file is the best of the evidence. It supports the
date, is direct, and although it is secondary (recorded at a
later date) it contains information from his wife and doctor who
were present at the death.