Rebel - KGC
Platinum Member
The problem with placing any trust in any information that has been passed by word of mouth isn't just the fact that people have the tendency to embellish upon the information, but there has also many studies that show how the accuracy of the details become widely distorted and inaccurate when passed in such a way. In grade school many of us participated in those fun little sessions where everyone sat in a circle and listened to a story, from here we all took turns repeating the story and the details always took on a dramatic change each time the story was retold from memory. This exercise was specifically designed to illustrate just how inaccurate word of mouth information can be. So from a research standpoint you just can't place any trust in this type of information even when the teller believes that they are passing that information in earnest. So if it's not been documented in some way then it just can't be trusted because more then likely it will not be even closely accurate to the original tale.
HA! Not ALL "word of mouth"... bits & pieces in WRITTEN histories, diaries, and books by the late Peter Viemeister (RIP), "Grand Master" of all things "Beale" in this area; Past PRESIDENT of Bedford Historical Society... HE had access to stuff/info that "we" can only "dream about".