Early Assumptions

[jfchaly]

My father told us that Granny came from Glenmore and her mother came from Tullagher.
Eventually found marriage certs, which proved the other way round. Granny married in Tullagher.
To add to confusion both surnames are very common in that area.
jfch

[Girl Guide]

Believing that my great grandfather on my mother's side was a twin.  Not so.  Research revealed that he had a brother and sister, no twins in the family at all.

Don't know why Mum thought he was a twin. 

[Mowsehowse]

Assuming that the "given" name was in fact the given name!

So many times I have searched for someone and eventually discovered that the first name was not even a short form of what appears in the birth register.

[familydar]

When census age not exactly 10 years different from the censuses 10 years before/after, believing that would narrow down the birth date to a very small window.

Jane:-)

[coombs]

Assuming that in small villages, we would be able to instantly find out which house in the village my ancestors lived in through the census returns. When in truth it usually says "cottage" and each individual family is marked with a dash only.

[Edward Scott]

That Parish vicars and/or clerks did enter every hatch, match & despatch into the PR's along with the right names and parents

Edward

[Rufous Treecreeper]

Assuming that the people who shared the family tree with you had got it right!

[JAKnighton]

My assumption that my mother's family, the Tweedies, were completely Scottish and then discovering they were Irish and not being able to take them past the 19th century.

[philipsearching]

Some of the stories on Roots would make great reading if turned into a book...."Who Did We Think They Were..."RootsChat Revelations" 
Carol

Oh yes Carol, definitely. We've had a few great ones haven't we when someone turns out to be someone completely different?   

We certainly have...more entertaining than T.V.  We have had plenty of family sagas on here 

How many times have posters told us that their relative definitely was not illegitimate, a bigamist, a criminal etc. 

Carol

How about a new TV show where relatives recount what they believe is the family history as told to them.  We could call it "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding" 

(p.s. - Carol - my late father was all three!)