"Richard Covington" "Susanna Bellwood"
"Richard Covington" Susannnah Bellwood"
Covington family "Douglas County" Washington
"Richard Covington" Waterville Washington
 

a) the family is so problematic nobody can FIND the siblings
b) the researcher doesn't know the importance of doing so

researching a lone family member puts you at risk for misidentification. Recognizing your family's cluster - the inlaws, the closest neighbors etc. helps keep you on track.

Mapquest http://www.mapquest.com/
shows present day county lines as well as towns if you tinker with the view
 

a)  Is it the county they say it is in the time your ancestor lived there?
b)  Was anyone living in the place the research says they were living at that time?


 

Is the timeline right?

Pay attention to ages. 
Would you categorize them as
    probable? possible? improbable? Impossible

example:
It is probable that Mary had her first child between age 17-30

It is possible that Mary had her her first child when she was 15 or 33 but worth noting because she is quite young or significantly older to bear a first child

It is improbable Mary has a child after about age 44-55  or in the 12-14 range and worth being suspicious. 

It is impossible for Mary to have a child when she is 8 years old or 60 something and means someone has not calculated the years and the child in question is a grandchild etc.

are their gaps in the timeline - they say grandpa was born in 1820 but no real record of his family is shown till 1860?

Pay attention to migrations

Probable migrations - especially in pre-Civil War research

New Englanders don’t usually head south unless they have a good reason – be suspicious of Grandpa born in Connecticut who dies in Georgia.  It may be true but you need to ask why? Did he come in a Quaker migration?  Did he come because of his occupation?

Families in the American south usually originate in the Middle Colonies (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland) or Virginia.  If they leave the American South it is uncommon for them to go to New England or New York (more likely Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois etc.)

Colonial pedigrees that show a famly with a child b. England then Virginia then England again are possible but improbable.

People who moved west usually stayed west. It is completely possible that they left California and resettled in Ohio (and more common once the 20th century moves onward) but for those who pioneered and invested in the west it is more uncommon and watch carefully for misidentification.


If it is before the railroad travel is a lot of work.  A groupsheet that announces a child born in Maryland the next in Virginia the next in Georgia could be correct if the family was migrating south but if the next child is suddenly born in Maryland again (meaning they had to travel all the way north before the child was born) it is possible but not probable and should be noted.

to see what is available online for death records

In all those trees you found did anyone say where Grandpa was buried.  If so google the cemetery or check Find a Grave.  This will quickly help confirm birth and death.

Verifying Marriages
Remember that when a marriage was created it often had multiple pieces of paperwork.  Many online database are taken from a registry which resembles an index that the clerk kept. 

Registries and Minister's Returns usually only recorded bride, groom and minister and date (sometimes father of the bride) but some places kept much more detailed registries as did the state of Michigan

Marriage bonds were required in many states and show bride and groom but also a bondsman (who is usually a very close relative).  Early bonds are often accompanied by consents by parents.  Later bonds asked a list of questions

Marriage returns usually show more detailed information

Certificates may not have added information but did often include witnesses

Check ALL marriage databases at Ancestry
Check FamilySearch for marriages
Google  marriages wisconsin
           marriages "Blount County" Tennessee

If the family lived in 1850 onward find everyone on the census.

If the tree you are looking at says they were somewhere confirm it with a census search.