Following is a report based on the application of the Genealogical Proof Standard to the story of Ruairidh¹ Breac² MacNeil³, an 18^th century pioneer for whom there is no direct evidence or documentation for any of the key events in his life—his birth, his marriage(s), or his death.

1. This given name appears in wondrous ways both in its Gaelic/Norse form(s) and English translations. It is spelled 'Ruairidh' (as in this document) and occasionally 'Ruairi' or 'Ruaidhri' (in other documents). Its pronunciation, regardless of spelling, is 'ROOah-ree' (three syllables). The name first appears in print in the early 1300s. It generally is translated in English as 'Roderick' or 'Rory'.
2. The Gaelic word 'Breac' which sometimes is spelled 'Bhreac', or anglicized as Brack generally means 'speckled' or 'freckled'; in the Hebrides it is often associated with the Clan McLeod whose Iain Breac was chief from 1664-93.
3. The name 'MacNeil' appears usually in the 18th and 19th century on land documents, some parish records and censuses in Nova Scotia as 'McNeil' and 'McNiel'. The authentic spelling is 'MacNeil' although in this case study the name appears in the way it is spelt (variously) in each document.