"due to the nature of the era and how records were generally kept I simply do not find the timeline (or lack of timeliness?) all that convincing an argument against it. "

That doesn't make any sense. If records are bad, the information is unreliable, it's funny to me how you're trying to make that an argument FOR your stance. You have no reason to rely on any of that, to do so would be entirely unreasonable.

"AH! My foot!"