Genealogical proof in the Houghton Surname Project
I have been collecting this Houghton data for the last 44 years. I have fairly solid genealogical evidence (vital records, etc.) for the first 7 generations of the early Houghton families, mostly prior to 1850. Much of the Houghton data after 1850 is census based, or contributed by a living Houghton. All source citations for any Houghton listed in the database are available for those who contact me. All census data in the Project are directly from US Census Data (via Ancestry.com). I have also included every Houghton reference I have ever discovered in 44 years of research in the hope that others may use the data to help solve some of their ongoing research into the Houghton surname. I have had many contributors who have sent Houghton data, at times without citations or proof. Including everything, which has been my practice, obviously opens the door to an increase in invalid data. Remember that second hand genealogical data is not genealogical proof. This constitutes a warning to all Houghton researchers using some of the later data, without asking for my citations. Having said this, I believe that this database is the single most exhaustive research compilation of American Houghton genealogical data and Houghton DNA data available anywhere.