Proof argument vs. proof summary

Dear Editor,
I have been working on a descending lineage. I have not yet been able to locate a birth or baptism record for one descendant subject, my great grandmother. She was born in Canada. Her brothers and sisters baptisms were recorded in the Weslyan Methodist Register.There is none for her though??? The family came to America shortly after a younger brother's baptism in 1866, which was recorded in the Register. I do have a death certificate for this grandmother. The informant at her death was her eldest daughter. My great grandmother's parents are named on the death certificate. But, her mother's maiden name is missing. I have a significant amount of other evidence which supports the parentage of this grandmother. This evidence comes from census, newspaper clippings (obituary, anniversary), a handwritten BMD list of her siblings found her bible, a transcribed list of her children's BMD, also from that bible and a county biography about this grandmother and her husband. I suspect the bio was written by this grandmother and submitted to the compiler. There is NO evidence from any source which conflicts as to WHO this grandmothers parents were.
Is a proof argument for parentage needed here? Or, will a summary be ok? I am just not sure. I have consulted my Thomas Jones book and EE. I am confused. Can you give suggestion? My guess is that I need to put this forth as an proof argument for her parentage. I have only one piece of direct evidence which is reliable. The informant, being the oldest daughter, was in a position to know her mother's parentage. She was not at her mother's birth but she did know her mother's parents and lived next door to them until her marriage. However, this is only one reliable source. Then, I have that supporting evidence which needs quite a it of explanation. Teresa Mills

Submitted byEEon Tue, 03/08/2016 - 12:17

Teresa, we prepare a proof summary when each piece of our evidence relating to a research question provides an explicit answer to the question (direct evidence) and all pieces agree on the same answer. We prepare a proof argument when we have conflicting evidence or when all the evidence is indirect and we must build a case.

Submitted bycaliadriaon Sat, 07/09/2016 - 17:54

Incidentally, one of the death certificates I'm handling lists the mother's maiden name as Jones, but Jones was the GRANDMOTHER'S maiden name.  The informant was the deceased's son.  So, they don't always know the right answer!  :)

(PS I know this is a late response but I had to mention this!)