Four years of wasted research Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

[diplodicus]

A cautionary tale!

I really started delving into my family history about six years ago. My cousin had told me that "my" Vincent family originated in Dorset and sure enough I found the trail through my paternal grandfather into the Dorset Vincents.

Oh, how wonderful a find was Dorset OPC. How lucky was I to be looking into the records of possibly the most "online" county in England? Oh, the joys of finding the Govers of Milborne St Andrew, the Vachers of Milton Abbas and the Bishops of Fordington.

How wonderful to visit the church where my grand-great-grandfather was married and is buried. I loved reading "Under the Greenwood Tree" based on my Chamberlain ancestors' church in Stinsford

My new year's resolution was to revisit each ancestor and verify the accuracy of the supporting evidence for the connection. Why didn't I notice the discrepancy revealed by the 1911 census and my Ancestor profile that showed my grandfather living in two places?

Guess what!

My grandfather is the other one 

[Spidermonkey]

It's not wasted - it was practice for this time around when you are going to research the correct family!

[aghadowey]

Don't feel bad. I spent lots of time the other day tracing what I thought was a relative and descendants before I realised that there were 2 cousins with the same unusual first name born about a year apart, both married women named Ethel Mary and giveing their children similar names! If I hadn't found 2 death certificates (1939 and 1951) I'm still be tracing the wrong family.

[LizzieW]

We all do it sometimes, I thought I'd found my g.gran and her parents and siblings and was happily researching them, when it occurred to me that the place of births shown on the census were wrong.  Same county, different town, but the "wrong" parents and siblings all had the same names as my g.gran and her parents and siblings.  How weird is that.

[7igerby7he7ail]

If only my paternal great grandfather had put his first name Thomas, instead of his middle name William on my grandmother's marriage cert. I wouldn't have wasted 4 years worth of research.
A William with the same surname lived only 4 doors away and I assumed [sigh] that he was the one
 In the 1901 census he even had a daughter with the same forename as my grandmother. It wasn't until the 1911 census when she had been married to my grandfather for 3 years did I realise my mistake. A completely different birthplace to what I was expecting,. It only took a couple of hours to trace back to my GGG grandfather, I then contacted someone who had the tree already back 6 generations. A learning curve, and I always urge caution and check,check,check to any beginners.

Tiger BTT

[sami]

I have a few lines that I know so well, I consider them to be family even though they turned out to be incorrect. I still think of them from time to time. If their actual descendants would post on rootschat I'd have a ton of information for them 

[joboy]

A cautionary tale!
Guess what!

My grandfather is the other one 

AH!! .......... you have gained by this circumstance ...... remember 'The Process of Elimination' via which you can apply the 'Diagnosis of exclusion'.
We all need to do this in family history.
Joe

[IgorStrav]

Sympathies.  I too have been there   

[jbml]

It only took a couple of hours to trace back to my GGG grandfather, I then contacted someone who had the tree already back 6 generations. A learning curve, and I always urge caution and check,check,check to any beginners.

Tiger BTT

Couldn't agree more.

Including checking every single one of the assertions made by the person who already had a further 6 generations for you, and satisfying yourself that their evidence stacks up!!

(Necessary corollary - when you supply information to somebody else who comes asking, don't be offended when they ask you for your evidence!!)