Is Filby, P. William, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: 2012 Reliable?

Question

Is this reference work generally reliable? It's been used as source for another work DILLER, CORINNE "Immigrant Ancestors in Miami Valley, Ohio, Quaker Families" in Miami Valley Genealogical Society, Genealogical Aids Bulletin Vol 13:3 (Winter 1984).

In reference to Jonathan Mote it lists arrival Philadelphia 1733 but this appears erroneous and contradicted by documents that it was his father who first arrived in the colonies in Virginia. Jonathan is not known to be Quaker, his son David Mote is definitively Quaker. Birth record for David exists and is Virginia 1733.

There is little presently on Jonathan's profile. Currently vetting information from research on this family prior to adding to profile. Basically just wondering about reliability of the Filby reference work.

Comments

There is a source Free Space page here: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s.

Answer 1

It can be reliable much of the time, but it depends on whether  the quoted source it uses are reliable. In this case, DILLER, CORINNE HANNA. "Immigrant Ancestors of Miami Valley, Ohio, Quaker Families." In Miami Valley Genealogical Society: Genealogical Aids Bulletin, vol. 13:3 (Winter 1984), pp. 64-67.

Comments

I agree with Doug. P. William Filby's compendium of passenger and immigration lists was developed by compiling an enormous amount of data from many sources. Filby couldn't possibly have evaluated the reliability of every source he included, but he did document where the data came from, so his sources can be consulted. You need to evaluate that Miami Valley article, not Filby's extraction of the data from it.

For what it's worth, I created a WikiTree profile for P. William Filby, because I was curious about the person who compiled those records.

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Thanks for all responses. The Diller article appears to have relied upon a book and separate article both from circa 1880 which had as sources oral tradition. Those two sources have proven mostly correct except as to the origin of Jonathan Mote--facts and documents are pointing to his father as the immigrant to Virginia (not Pennsylvania).

Ellen, fascinating to read about Mr Filby, thanks.