Should Mary Magdalene Costner formerly Dellinger be disconnected from Johann Philipp Dellinger?

Question

Mary Magdelene Dellinger who married Peter Costner is connected as a daughter to Johann Philipp Dellinger and Catharina Zeeb.

Can we achieve concensus on removing the connection?

Kathy Gunter Sullivan, certified genealogist and long time researcher on this Dellinger line, has obtained copies of original source documents from Germany. Her post on Mary Magdelen's profile says:

In addition to there being no record in the Oberacker Church Register of Mary Magadalene's birth there in 1746, Catharina (Zeeb) Dellinger is unlikely to be her mother. If so, the child would be illegitimate because Catharina Zeeb did not marry Philipp Dellinger until 1748.

I'm seeking concensus from the Profile Managers and descendants. Thank you.

Comments

I'd be hesitant to remover her, without at the very least noting her existance in his Bio.  Someone (setting up a genealogy) thought she was his daughter. Until this source is found and refuted, it should be at least recognized.

If she was illigitimate, would her birth have been recorded? Would her father have been named? Would her mother have been named?  These should be answered before she's cast adrift.

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Tom, I agree that after she is removed a note should be added to bio that no such daughter of Johann Philipp Dellinger or Catharina Zeeb existed.

How is one to refute a non-existant source from an unknown contributor?

All the records for Johann and Catharina have been searched by certified genealgists. How does one prove a negative. Mary Magdalene is not in the records.

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"If she was illigitimate, would her birth have been recorded? Would her father have been named? Would her mother have been named?"

A baptism would have been recorded, usually only listing the mother. In early 19th century records the father would have been entered retrospectively, usually with a notation that the child was legitimated by subsequent marriage, but that is not common in the 18th century. 18th century legitimized children would be baptized with mother's last name or no last name and then later show up with a different, presumably the father's, last name.

Sometimes illegitimate births and baptisms were not done in the home community due to the associated stigma but in some other community where the family had relatives.

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Thank you for the information on record keeping Helmut. It is interesting but I do not see the relevence to the specific question and Kathy's answer. No one has tried to claim that Mary Magdalene Costner was illegitimate that I know of.

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This was in reply to Tom Bredehoft's comment. I did not intend to imply that this specific profile was in any way affected. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

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Thank you Helmut

Answer 1

I descend from Philipp Dellinger--as does April. After researching Philipp for a considerable number of years (since late 1980s), including the church register of his home village of Oberacker, Germany, my conclusion is that Mary Magdalene (--?--) Costner cannot be established as a daughter of Philipp Dellinger. I have discovered no evidence that Mary Magdalene (--?--) Costner (said to be born 1746 without documentation) descends from Philipp Dellinger. GEDCOM's stating that Mary Magdalene (--?--) Costner's descends from Philipp Dellinger are nothing more than copy-and-paste from undocumented lore published in Our Kin and in Pieter Heyl.

Can we move on?

Kathy Gunter Sullivan

 

Answer 2

Yes, Kathy, it is time to move on.

After a week we have had no sources added to the discussion here, and I have removed Mary Magalene Dellinger-32 (wife of Peter Costner-9), from connections as daughter of Johann Philipp Dellinger-10 and Catharina Zeeb-20. I left a note on Dellinger-32 regarding the action and a link to this discussion. (The same with Mary Magdalene Dellinger-14.)

Thank you Kathy for bringing your professional experience to the Dellinger line!