A lesson to learn

[daggers]

I was looking into a family living in Yorkshire in the 19th century. There were many children over a long period, and I found online images of baptisms for nearly all and birth registrations for most. There was one set of twins, from this evidence, but both died young.
I then found an Ancestry tree online which listed the same people, but curiously some of the dates differed, and their list included no fewer than four sets of twins!
The moral of this story, often repeated here and on other sites, is: do not ever take other people's work without checking it at least once.
What do other members think about contacting the tree owner to offer corrections/alternative evidence?
D

[Blue70]

I once sent correction messages to about 15 tree owners and got about 3 replies (and not quick replies at that) you don't have the same interactivity as you have with forums it's like talking to the wall a lot of the time. I wouldn't bother now trying to negotiate a consensus on the correct family details with a number of people. If I had a tree on there now I would leave it to the other tree owners to compare and make any necessary corrections. Let them do the work.


Blue

[daggers]

I don't have a tree online. I once shared with a relative who put it online and it acquired a lot of 'new material', i.e.errors.
D

[MaryA]

I've tried on a couple of occasions in the past to correct others peoples trees, usually because they have pinched some of mine and then discovered another step further back - which on two different occasions were evidently from the locations not true!

Blue is right, they don't actually want to listen, and the other trees with the anomalies have probably all been taken from the first one wrong, they won't have done their own research, so actually who would you approach? how would you know which one began the chinese whispers.

One man discovered my direct line yet got some wrong but was quite interested in a conversation when I pointed out the error to him, until I said I wanted my family removed from a public tree (mum was still living at this time), and also asking him why he was researching the line when he had no connection with the family. I was asked if I'd never heard of a One Name Study. I showed him I knew perfectly well what a one name study was when I told him I would visit his home (with enough clues that he knew I had found where he did live) and punch his lights out.

I then reported his tree to Ancestry and certain entries were removed "toot sweet".

As I've done the Ancestry DNA test, I feel I need to have a tree online otherwise what good would be results do me, but I still keep it private until I am approached by a definite connection so we can work on the names mutually - not that it's done me much good in many cases as there must have definitely been some naughty goings on to disrupt my research.

PS don't turn this thread into one about DNA, my comment was just to illustrate the usefulness or otherwise of online trees. If anybody wants to chat DNA, begin another post.

[Fledge]

Go Mary.

In the past I've had people with no blood ties and often no connection at all request and publish information on my family, including living relatives. Nowadays, if I get a message from a stranger through Ancestry asking to view my tree, I don't allow it... simple as. Real cousins make contact and introduce themselves, and only when I know I can trust them/their motives with my data do I allow them access.

[big g]

Fledge, Mary,

I have a 'privae' tree on Ancestry, it used to be open to all until I found my info and photo's had been attached to other trees which bore no resemblance to mine ; wrong counties, wrong names, wrong dates. I did point out to one or two of the tree owners the 'error's.....................silence.

I gladly give access to my tree when folk prove their connection/interest, and if they find errors in my research I am only too glad to have them pointed out.

Glenys

[Karen]

I've contacted a few people to say that they had something incorrect on their tree, providing evidence each time. Needless to say, I had no replies and the tree remained the same.

My best one, though, will always be the woman who had attached a photo of my 3x great grandfather to a completely different person. When I challenged her, she told me that he looked nice so she thought she'd have him!

[lynne99]

What !!! I suppose it might in some twisted world of research be a compliment. Can you ask them to remove it. I won't put my tree on Ancestry, but my ex husband , independently of me has put mine attached to his.

[MaryA]

When I challenged her, she told me that he looked nice so she thought she'd have him!

wow that's the best excuse I've heard.

You could contact Ancestry and say it is your photograph and they shouldn't have used it incorrectly, they should take it down themselves if the tree owner doesn't.

[GEORGE HIGHTON]

Can someone alter your Tree on Ancestry ?

[MaryA]

Can someone alter your Tree on Ancestry ?

I don't think so but they can certainly leave notes against somebody in your tree.

[yappie]

Hi I have not published my tree on Ancestry but left a few corrections on other trees. The best one is where I found my gggrandfather born 1844 and gggrandmother born 1859 are credited with a son born 1861. I left a message saying they must have been unique to have a child when he was 17 and she was 2. The answer was "I know what I am doing as I do have a PHd". I wonder what in - certainly not mathematics I research my family by hard graft and help from the wonderful people on this forum for my Liverpool roots and Archivists at my local records office. yappie

[lynne99]

I suggest you "chat" with him about it and try to work out what he sees. I definitely could not leave it like that.

[Daisycakes]

When I first began searching my ancestry I too had a few tree snatchers ...but Ido have a good story to tell ...A guy in Ohio had my husbands 2x great grandfather on his tree ...it was blatantly wrong and I messaged this guy explaining why this man on his tree couldn't possibly be an ancestor of his....he was just lovely and so grateful ,that I decided to try and trace the right person for his tree...eventually between us we found the correct one....As I was searching in Ohio myself he helped me a little within the town my hubbys ancestors lived all those years ago....

Ann

[MaryA]

Just goes to show, not all tree errors make bad connections, good to hear a better story Ann.