Author Topic: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?  (Read 3407 times)

Offline rdkmt

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My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« on: Sunday 11 January 15 17:30 GMT (UK) »
I did a family tree on Ancestry, all based on free resources, based on what I know, stuff I copied from other trees, and frankly laughable speculation where I went back to some aristo on one branch (almost certainly wrong). My tree has about 500 people.

I finally bit the bullet and paid out for a year's subscription so I now have access to censuses etc, and I look at my old tree and can't remember where I got some of the info from.

It appeals to me to start again with a new tree based on my mother's name this time, and methodically work my way back through it, backing up all the facts.

Would this be a good idea do you think, while leaving the old tree still there? I don't think it's a bad tree at all btw, the majority of it is I think roughly right. Or better to work through the old tree correcting it? I did notice with horror though that people have been copying bits of it, I wish I could put a disclaimer at the top - may contain slipshod work!


Offline *Sandra*

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 11 January 15 17:36 GMT (UK) »
Quite a number of people have 2 trees running consecutively.  You can always make it private so that no one copies off the new one.  ;)

Sandra
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Offline Craclyn

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 11 January 15 17:40 GMT (UK) »
If there is a high degree of speculation then it would be sensible to build a new tree checking the sources more carefully and documenting as you go. You can keep the old one as a private tree and use if for reference but confirm each element of content before adding it to the new tree so that you can feel comfortable with the integrity of your future research.
Crackett, Cracket, Webb, Turner, Henderson, Murray, Carr, Stavers, Thornton, Oliver, Davis, Hall, Anderson, Atknin, Austin, Bainbridge, Beach, Bullman, Charlton, Chator, Corbett, Corsall, Coxon, Davis, Dinnin, Dow, Farside, Fitton, Garden, Geddes, Gowans, Harmsworth, Hedderweek, Heron, Hedley, Hunter, Ironside, Jameson, Johnson, Laidler, Leck, Mason, Miller, Milne, Nesbitt, Newton, Parkinson, Piery, Prudow, Reay, Reed, Read, Reid, Robinson, Ruddiman, Smith, Tait, Thompson, Watson, Wilson, Youn

Offline mike175

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 11 January 15 17:48 GMT (UK) »
There is little you can do to prevent people copying and misusing your information online, other than keeping your tree offline on your own PC. I feel this is a better option anyway, and you can always update your online tree from time to time.
Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex/London, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex, Wyatt - Essex/Kent


Offline Jomot

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 11 January 15 19:40 GMT (UK) »
I had a similar dilemma with my first attempt where had I merrily accepted hints etc without checking / documenting properly, and the option I chose was to work through & correct the old tree, which had a similar number of people on it to yours. 

In retrospect I feel this was a bad option as I'm finding it very hard to work through it all in the same logical way that I would create a new tree, and I'm really not enjoying it at all.  Unfortunately I'm so far through it that I don't think I can face starting over yet again so at the moment I'm soldiering on, but if I could go back in time I'd definitely start from scratch with the old tree as a back-up to refer to as & when necessary.
MORGAN: Glamorgan, Durham, Ohio. DAVIS/DAVIES/DAVID: Glamorgan, Ohio.  GIBSON: Leicestershire, Durham, North Yorkshire.  RAIN/RAINE: Cumberland.  TAYLOR: North Yorks. BOURDAS: North Yorks. JEFFREYS: Worcestershire & Northumberland. FORBES: Berwickshire, CHEESMOND: Durham/Northumberland. WINTER: Durham/Northumberland. SNOWBALL: Durham.

Offline rdkmt

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 11 January 15 20:02 GMT (UK) »
Thanks all. Yes Jomot, that's my thought too.

Btw, if you put details of living people into your tree, is it true that no-one but you can see them?

Offline whiteout7

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 11 January 15 20:39 GMT (UK) »
Do not put any living people on your online familytrees. The company you are using can change their privacy policy at anytime and then all your families details can be shared with the whole of the internet
Wemyss/Crombie/Laing/Blyth (West Wemyss)
Givens/Normand (Dysart)
Clark/Lister (Dysart)
Wilkinson/Simson (Kettle or Kettlehill)

Offline HarrisonHart

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 12 January 15 01:18 GMT (UK) »
I have my living family members on my tree on ancestry.  Yes if you check the 'living' box when creating them on your tree, they remain private.  I use Family Tree Maker too.  If I want an up to date Gedcom file of my tree to upload to another site to check for matches, I select the box to NOT include living family members in my gedcom file, before exporting/saving the file.  I think you're safe with Ancestry, though. 
Angela, Perth, West Australia.

Harrison: Garston (L'pool), Dublin, Athlone, (Irl), Madras/Chennai and Burma (British India/India) and Sth Africa, and Australia.
Hart: Garston and Woolton (UK), Roscommon (Irl).
McC(h)rystal: Garston, Wigan, Desertmartin (Nrthn Irl), Canada, USA, Australia
Miller: Garston and ?Ireland/?Wales
Jones: Garston and ?Ireland/?Wales
Boyle: (Derry, Irl)
Gill: Garston L'pool UK, and Ireland.
Cannon: Woolton and Roscommon
Callaghan: Unknown.
And more.

Offline rdkmt

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Re: My Family Tree. Should I start afresh or edit what I've already done?
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 15 January 15 01:05 GMT (UK) »
Can I ask about Family Tree Maker. What's different about it from the free Ancestry tree, apart from the ability to access it offline?