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10 About Genealogical Standards of Evidence
they are long-lost heirs, or the fabrication of "impeccable"
lineages began long ago, and continues here and there in
modern times. Anthony Camp, former Director of the
Society of Genealogists in London, documented some
historical examples of this in his article "Forgery and
Deception in Genealogy."'
In North America, the study of genealogy has shed that
stigma of elitism faster than in European cultures. The old
notion of pedigrees "for gain or brag" has been superseded
due to huge popular interest in the last few generations.
Unfortunately there are still a few who blight the credbility
of genuine genealogical research by promoting false family
histories or creating phony credentials. American
genealogists have written about fraudulent genealogies,
notably Robert Charles Anderson and Gordon Remington.
Dr Helen Hinchhff of British Columbia chaired the Ethics
Committee of the National Genealogical Society (based in
VC1ashington, D.C.) to produce a 120-page report on the
dubious activities of mail-order firms. These companies, whose
names change regularly, are simply modern versions of scam
operators who have preyed and will prey on members of a
wide and gullible North American market that seeks instant
ancestral definition without any logical relationship to
themselves. Some of these companies market their schemes
by direct mail; others feature large advertisements in reputable
magazines. They would have us believe that "everyone with
the same surname is related - one big, happy W'e
should all know the fallacy of mass-produced so-called farmly
histories.
Equally repugnant are those who quite illegally purvey

' Ontario Genealogical Society Families, Vol 34 No 1 (February 1995).
Helen Hinchliff, "Caveat Emptor Family ITalues" in NGS Newsletter, Vol
21 No 3 @lay/June 1995).