Collecting other people's relatives.

[kerryb]

Marie

Yes and hand over a family tree they have so nicely prepared for you!  Mind you I quite like the thrill of doing it myself, sometimes it's just so difficult.

Kerry

[CarolBurns]

When I first started researching, many moons ago, Ionly used LDS site and found that when I got to hubby's Great Grandfather I was stumped.

I knew he had been born about 1855 and the closest was a Hugh Burns born in 1856 to Peter Burns and Agnes M***.  As his eldest son was named Peter I jumped to the conclusion that this was my man. I traced the whole family back to 1630 something. Oh was I pleased with myself and thought what a doddle this Family Tree lark was. I had a file for each generation and posted messages all over other sites I found asking for links to this family. I even printed out a family tree book with everyone in it - even the inlaws were in it and had files of their own. Everyone in the family had one of these booklets all printed out on paper that had a design printed onto it before I did the words. Beautiful little booklets they were - I was so proud of my handy work

Then the 1901 census came out and I looked Peter Burns up and then went back to the 1891 and found him at home with his parents who were Hugh Burns and Jane. Who is this Jane? I thought. So I decided to spend some money on a certificate for Peter's birth and found his mother's name was Jane Horsburgh. hmmmm This didn't sound quite right. According to my booklet and previous research Hugh's wife was Jane but not Horsburgh and nothing sounding or looking like it. So the marirage cert was sent for and guess what?  Yes you've all guessed right - I was wrong !!    Totally and beyond belief!!!

So I checked out the parents of Hugh and found that they didn't even live in the area that the previously found family lived in! It was the opposite side of the country!

So for the next 4 hours I sat with tears streaming down my face as I ripped every piece of paper from the 16 files I had built up and shredded them!!! The worst part was telling everyone with one of my gorgeous booklets that they should do the same and that I was wrong.

Now I have the proper Family Tree which only goes back as far as 1815 for the Burns though the Horsburghs go back to 1479 thanks to a lovely gentleman who is also researching that side of the family


Moral of this sad sad story:   NEVER EVER BELIEVE WHAT YOU FIND UNTIL YOU HAVE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE IT BE THEY BIRTH, MARRIAGE OR DEATH CERTS OR JUST CENSUS REPORTS!! MAKE SURE YOUR INFO IS AT LEAST 90% MATCHING IF NOT 98%

Now I think twice before adding anyone. I learnt my lesson the hardest way possible which has saved a lot of time (and tears)

Carol

[Romilly]

Hi Carol,

Oh, I did feel for you reading your message!!

I have similar worries about one of my lines of research:-(  As you say...we want the pieces to fit so badly, that sometimes we go with the wrong bit...

Best Wishes, Romilly.

[CarolBurns]

It is so easy to do Romilly

All you need is two names that match and a couple of dates and you're off down that road to nowhere.

I've got a similar problem now - my Great Grandfather always called one woman his sister and when we got his birth cert we found his grandmothers name(Anne) and address on there as well as his mothers. His grandmother had registered him. When I sent for his sisters cert it was a different name for the mother!!  When I found the mother in census I found her mothers name(Anne) was the same as my Great Grandfathers grandmother but that was the only link. I don't think they were the same Anne as ages etc were slightly different.

Now the challenge is to find out exactly what relation they are to each other as brother and sister are definitely wrong (unless they had the same father)

Oh for an easy life

Carol

[polidor]

 O'h Carol--- you're replies here are the type of thing i was thinking about when i began this post. It's all very well to mistake a birth or death date or two and then manage to straighten it out a bit later, o'k to pencil someones name in and then realise he or she lived in a diferent area  etc. but to go to all the hard work you obviously did, well,i'd be so very upset.
I've found [or rather ,had found for me by Rootschatters ], a couple of my Nain's brothers that i knew exsisted but hadn't got names for but i'm still waiting for a big EUREKA moment. If and when that happens i do so want it to be right. Poli