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Write it down

Once you're beyond living memory it's all about corroboration. Once you're into the census range, there is enough information available to cross reference the things that you find.

There's always going to be some doubt (even if it is miniscule) and then it's up to each individual to decide how much information they need to decide something is correct. The more obscure a name and/or a place the less proof you will need - a John Smith born Bham is going to take a bit more work than a Simeon Sparrowhawk born Uffington.
 
I can't claim to have anything like that but I find it very difficult to keep track of 'work in progress'. I have tried it but when I am 'on a roll' it just distracts and when I am off track it just wastes time.

I find it takes some time to pick up the threads of research but once done I can keep it all in my head.

What is essential though is the genealogy program that links all the positive results, plus the family group pages that I keep filed along with certificates etc.

Hopefully these structured records will will mean something to someone else. My 'working notes' often don't make sense to me weeks later!
 
My daughters bought me a subscription to Ancestry recently so apart from a U3A course some years ago all very new to me. Strikes me unless you have living memory of details it's all very hit and miss or is this because I have grandparents with names like James Brown and John Williams. I have found a "cousin", we share one set of great grandparents, and find we have both attended the same family weddings without meeting or at least remembering. Already very wary of the information I am gathering.
I use Ancestry and found it easiest to work back from what I knew. As others have said treat hints and other people's trees with suspicion unless you can back it up. The further back you go the harder it gets.
Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice on here. We all had to start somewhere.
 
I can't claim to have anything like that but I find it very difficult to keep track of 'work in progress'. I have tried it but when I am 'on a roll' it just distracts and when I am off track it just wastes time.

I find it takes some time to pick up the threads of research but once done I can keep it all in my head.

What is essential though is the genealogy program that links all the positive results, plus the family group pages that I keep filed along with certificates etc.

Hopefully these structured records will will mean something to someone else. My 'working notes' often don't make sense to me weeks later!

Spargone, I can understand notes not making sense. after working for over 50 years as an engineer I developed a note taking regimen that is basically bullett points with arrows and stars. It has worked very well for me over the years in both technical and business meetings. The problem is that I am the only one that it is meaningful to (that might be a good thing). When computers came out I can use ppt & Excel quite well but typing, I am flat out with three fingers.
 
I developed a note taking regimen that is basically bullett points with arrows and stars. It has worked very well for me over the years in both technical and business meetings.
Pre-covid I used to write up technical public presentations and some wondered how I remembered what was said. The key was just noting critical points and things like numbers, the 'story' I found quite easy to recall.

There have been times when I have tried to keep logs of genealogy research (and carrying out procedures like software updates), a sort of audit trail. For both these activities when things work it just extends the time to do the task and if things go wrong, well you want to start again, not repeat the process. The trouble is that if you do want to check your work or perhaps update another computer the incomplete or non-existent notes aren't available able to help. (The sort of thing I am talking about with genealogy is when you suddenly think "Why did I put this person in my tree?" and you know full well that there must have been a reason.

None of this is helped if ones's handwriting is illegible and, 'doing a Yorkshire man', three fingers? Some of us use only one!
 
I understand the trepidation you are feeling and you are right to be wary especially of those Ancestry hints that you receive. Check them out by all means but make sure that everything can be verified by certifiable records. I have used Ancestry for many years and have been pleased with my family trees but I've also learned that not everything on Ancestry is correct.
Jim
I had used Ancestry when it was free. Combined with Family Search which was also free then and with the microfiches my partner used and the help of the Birmingham History Forum they worked well together. However I had reason to complain to Ancestry about someone posting on it. They posted photos of living people which is contrary to Ancestry rules. And photos that they had not permission to post. They stated this that they have to trust the poster. e.g. The poster has me down with my name completely incorrect, my biological relationship on their tree wrong, many other names incorrect, even wrong photos attached to names, dates wrong etc. My uncle is on twice as his own brother and some family members are missed off and felt they didn't belong. It upset a lot of family members because of a deep seated pain and because they asked the poster to remove them and they refused. As I had passed on some of these photos for private viewing to the poster, some no longer speak to me. They also say the poster used their private domain but if anyone types in a name, the photos appear which Ancestry refused to answer. It is a good site as long as you are careful, and don't get carried away.
 
Your Story is very bad Nico, and should not have happened. With regard to the errors I would like to emphasise that the "trees" on the site are, in effect, only the "gossip" picked up by that poster, and should never be considered to be automatically true. There is no real reason to believe, as things stand, that these trees are any more accurate than a series of posts on Twitter. Some , or perhaps most, will consider this statement to be over the top, but I believe this to be true. As a scientist would never automatically take as gospel anything not properly assessed by others, though obviously would note and take interest in things said in chatrooms if they sounded interesting. Even properly assessed items can still be wrong.
There. Rant Over
 
Your Story is very bad Nico, and should not have happened. With regard to the errors I would like to emphasise that the "trees" on the site are, in effect, only the "gossip" picked up by that poster, and should never be considered to be automatically true. There is no real reason to believe, as things stand, that these trees are any more accurate than a series of posts on Twitter. Some , or perhaps most, will consider this statement to be over the top, but I believe this to be true. As a scientist would never automatically take as gospel anything not properly assessed by others, though obviously would note and take interest in things said in chatrooms if they sounded interesting. Even properly assessed items can still be wrong.
There. Rant Over
No Mike it should not have happened. Ancestry don't care as they get paid. I am a guest on two people's sites, on Ancestry. Different distant family members. One said he wished we would sort our squabbles out, he re posts other people's on to his tree which is fair enough and tries to improve the quality of the photos. We are on good terms but I pointed out the poster person was wrong. He posts living people on his tree but with their permission. The poster I and others have taken umbrage with posted one of our late relative's prison records. Which upset a load more. And the worst quality photos of people when there were better ones to choose from. XXXX in the Army, who was in the Airforce, XXXX with their spouse who was his mistress, that went down a treat. XXXX on his tank which wasn't a tank in Germany, which was in France.
They also spent a vast fortune researching a family of a lady, who was not my birth father's first wife, as they assumed as her Nationality was incorrect her age was wrong and she had not the correct middle name, as I informed them. I got my information from her son, my half brother, he should know, but they went ahead blindly. They have done this twice to their time and cost.
Another thing Ancestry does now is write a resumé of a person's life history, incorrectly sorted on a database which has no bearing on their life. I think I am my own half brother, like René Artois in 'Allo 'Allo!
 
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I have just been mulling over something I find a bit scary. I previously mentioned a person posting things on Ancestry, when they had their DNA done, and they tell me they can trace any possible siblings this way.

We went via NORCAP Adoption support who vetted me. I had to prove who I was and what I wanted from it and my relationship to as many birth family as I could, to protect the birth parents mainly I think.

I ordered Certificates from Gro Gov and I was allotted an account number so they knew who they were dealing with each time. In very special circumstances I could request details of younger living people.

As we see, Nicky Campbell's Long Lost Family researchers use DNA as a final resort and also enlist special discrete intermediaries.
The Poster made the point they don't need to do all this, having their own DNA (I have other unfound siblings) .They state that Ancestry say more adopted people have their DNA done so there is a bigger chance of being them found. And they don't need a birth parent's name on a certificate if they have their DNA. They use Facebook alongside too and the Poster can still post what they like, unchecked.

So while I was getting to grips with this tonight I get a call from my birth cousin whose young granddaughter who did her DNA is about to contact this same Poster back. But 'Granny' is wary, did I know them and can they be trusted etc? WelI I say yes and... well, just be careful what you might divulge. 'Granny' is now twitchy as she doesn't want her very private life revisited and possibly posted on Ancestry.
I think the DNA thing is great and to be able to find people, but there should be some law to protect people as to how they are contacted and what gets posted on line.

Sorry if this is off topic.
 
I have just been mulling over something I find a bit scary. I previously mentioned a person posting things on Ancestry, when they had their DNA done, and they tell me they can trace any possible siblings this way.

We went via NORCAP Adoption support who vetted me. I had to prove who I was and what I wanted from it and my relationship to as many birth family as I could, to protect the birth parents mainly I think.

I ordered Certificates from Gro Gov and I was allotted an account number so they knew who they were dealing with each time. In very special circumstances I could request details of younger living people.

As we see, Nicky Campbell's Long Lost Family researchers use DNA as a final resort and also enlist special discrete intermediaries.
The Poster made the point they don't need to do all this, having their own DNA (I have other unfound siblings) .They state that Ancestry say more adopted people have their DNA done so there is a bigger chance of being them found. And they don't need a birth parent's name on a certificate if they have their DNA. They use Facebook alongside too and the Poster can still post what they like, unchecked.

So while I was getting to grips with this tonight I get a call from my birth cousin whose young granddaughter who did her DNA is about to contact this same Poster back. But 'Granny' is wary, did I know them and can they be trusted etc? WelI I say yes and... well, just be careful what you might divulge. 'Granny' is now twitchy as she doesn't want her very private life revisited and possibly posted on Ancestry.
I think the DNA thing is great and to be able to find people, but there should be some law to protect people as to how they are contacted and what gets posted on line.

Sorry if this is off topic.
I completely understand what you are saying. When looking for my biological father I did the Social services counselling and the tree research then used a professional intermediary who then asked my closest likely family member to take a DNA test for confirmation. All this was done in a very measured and considerate way so as to avoid any distress or family upset. As it was I have found a half brother who was thrilled to have an older sister. I agree about posts on Ancestry trees, many are inaccurate and can not be relied upon. You must always do your own back up research.
 
I will second that Maurice

Bob
I finished my biography a year ago when I was 86 years old. When you consider it finished.. it never is because an event or face will appear and remind you of an event.
It is about 100 pages and 40,000 words long. I sent it to about 25 people (mostly relatives) but I have a feeling that just a few would read it. I don't really expect anyone to read the whole story but they could pick on a portion which may be of benefit or interest.
After all, I have been married to two Angela's, I have three children...all of them born in different African countries, I have four grandchildren. I have served in two police forces, I have served in two armies and I have survived two wars etc.etc.
In addition I have played my saxophone and clarinet for the last 15 years until it became too onerous with the score at about 1700 gigs.
I would have found it to be somewhat interesting to some people.
 
When you consider it finished.. it never is because an event or face will appear and remind you of an event.

I would have found it to be somewhat interesting to some people.
It is inevitable that one will be reminded of people and events that haven't been written down but that wouldn't have happened if nothing had been written down. One can always add an annex.

I would be surprised if your account doesn't become more interesting to even more people as the years go by.

No-one has to read an account but without an account there would be nothing to read!

Well done in managing 100 pages and for encouraging others to get started!
 
I started this thread about writing family history down and I have always done this and use records and census entries from Ancestry and family search to help me, also collecting a lot of certificates
I have looked at Ancestry trees related to mine and my husbands family and some of them are like fairy tales the info. is so incorrect.

BUT, often it is what happens between census and other family members do not know or ever talk about that is more interesting.
My husbands grandfather Joseph was born in 1879 in New canal street.
His parents married in 1860 in Birmingham, in 1871 there are living in Plumstead in Kent, Frank b 1839 is a Wiredrawer.
.in 1881 all missing , then I found Frank in Pennsylvania 1880 census he sailed in 1879...We believe that his wife and baby followed later (after giving birth in birmingham.)between 1880 USA census and our 1881.
We have some info that Frank died when a dam in Johnstown Pennsylvania broke and hundreds were killed.
In 1911 Joe says he was born in New York, they may have landed there,.

When looking at their surname I found a Frank living in Birmingham born Johnstown 1876 and thought it was too much of a coincidence, the birthplace was found eventually to be incorrect, he too must have thought he was born in USA.
Then looking back through earlier census entries for a Joseph 1879 Birmingham , I found him in 1891, with a Frank b 1876 Kent with their mother who was living with someone as 'wife in Birmingham, having returned after her husbands death.
With the help of other members I pinpointed Frank birth and had his certificate last week.

No member of my husbands family ever mentioned Frank he lived in Birmingham with a wife and 4 sons until his death in 1960. age 84.

Now you can all see that I have developed from writing it down to it becoming an obsession:):):)
 
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It is interesting how many times members of your family appear incorrectly in other people's trees, even stranger is that when you politely correct them because you have visible proof that they are wrong, they rudely dismiss you. I have at least 6 instances of incorrect persons, same name but a date of birth that i know is wrong and that I have proof of, where I have been told I am the person who has the incorrect information.
Bob

Revisiting the topic of wrong information in family trees. I just did a search on Ancestry family trees for a random but fairly close relative and found she has been mistaken for someone else in no less than 7 family trees. And in 1 or 2 she seems to be a direct ancestor as well.
 
Revisiting the topic of wrong information in family trees. I just did a search on Ancestry family trees for a random but fairly close relative and found she has been mistaken for someone else in no less than 7 family trees. And in 1 or 2 she seems to be a direct ancestor as well.
It's really turning sour. On one of my birth families Ancestry trees any living members just state that with a male or female silhouette. As it should be. On the one I was kicked off for complaining about, living people are listed some with their photos in some cases. A woman saying she is a Brummie cousin to my uncle who saw him on it obtained his Whatsap phone number without his permission from the tree's owner and rang him up. Asking about the family and dropped a brick tactlessly mentioning that his grandmother was a prostitute. Bad enough, But the name she was citing was his mother. This information about his mother was given verbally from the tree owner.
So he is gunning for his niece the tree owner and he has blocked the woman. But it really upset him over Christmas. As he said, we did not live in those times, what women especially endured in the 1800s early 1900s to survive. No one has any right to judge them. I don't like Ancestry's attitude that they only advise, tree owners to post sensitive information only on their private trees. Yet I can find all these photos on public domaine including the prison records and adoptions just by googling a name.
 
Not as it should be, there never seems to be enough checks in place. The attitude of websites like Ancestry when things go wrong their first answer is it's the user not them. My understanding of the living/dead relatives is that if the user marks someone as dead then they'll appear on the tree, irrespective if they're dead or not.

The availability of information of all types has made genealogy so much easier and interesting, and I don't see anything wrong with that in itself. It's what someone does with that information where problems start, as in your case. That there are secrets in families is understandable and they are what they are but, I wouldn't like to be casually told out of the blue by a stranger.

Unfortunately, once you start putting your personal details out there (even privately) you can't get them back, so to speak.
 
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