Seeing Isn't Always Believing

A few weeks ago while researching I came across two transcriptions for the will of John Griffin who died in North Carolina in 1761.

Not unusual except that the two were supposedly from the same will, done by two different persons. One BIG problem, they didn't match! One names a son, John. One doesn't.

So off to North Carolina we go. First request at the records desk.... Yep you guessed it.

The will of John Griffin who died in 1761, and guess what... John really does have a son named John!

So the moral of the story is, never trust a transcription, you MUST ALWAYS look for and hopefully find the original. No exceptions!