Help finding common ancestor

[hwlambert]

Unfortunately, you are right. Because my father’s family lived with their grandparents, I thought they would be correct, silly me. I should have known better.  I know my tree will have mistakes but I am doing my best to fix those. I will concentrate on my great grandfather’s brother’s family and see where that leads but its looking more like we don’t belong there.

I am going to research back 2 generations beyond my MRCA and see where that takes me. Hopefully I will be lucky but am prepared to play the waiting game.

I will take on board your family circumstances Glen as that is also a possibility, something is not right somewhere. I find many of my DNA matches trees have different people attributed as family members making it difficult to follow through the generations. There are so many differences in people’s trees it makes researching that much harder.

[Talacharn]

Too many trees are full of mistakes, especially on certain sites. They find something that looks right and assume it is the right person. You have to find your own information. One tree has my great-grandmother marrying in Wales and then emigrating to the USA. I know who she married and where she is buried; and it is in Wales.

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

The issue that's now totally out of hand and can never be corrected is the sheer number of wrong trees, granted we will all make the odd mistake here and there but some trees have such blatantly obvious mistakes I almost wish I could be blocked from seeing them, of course these trees are the ones that are then shared far and wide and almost forced upon us by AI.
Two wrongs don't make a right and I'm afraid 10 wrong trees don't make that hint, thrulines and Theory of Relativity any more valid despite what the AI may think.

[Wexflyer]

The problem of course often lies with the incessant Ancestry hints.
Hints for people scattered hither and yon, before and after the time of interest.

All too many people accept these hints. Which is how they then end up with trees populated with people marrying before they were born, or having children randomly all over the world.
And once someone accepts one of these stupid hints, Ancestry will then uses that as evidence/supporting proof to incessantly press the same stupid error on others.

[hwlambert]

I couldn't agree more. I am removing anyone not confirmed on my tree and working from there. I wish there was a way to stop the errors being passed on.

[Biggles50]

No way to stop others passing on incorrect hints.

Only way is to turn off receiving hints for a specific tree

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

It's when people find the right census via a hint but mum will forever remain in her married name. That in turn throws up wrong hints.

I've spent most of the day fumbling through families that keep intermarrying, one of my main surnames and several of my big matches are all intertwined but the interlinked bits are all siblings from the pedigree lines, I'm pretty sure I'm related to everyone in 3 ways though.

Still frustrated with messages not being read. Why is it you can message a mystery DNA match and never hear from them but do a bit of stalking, erm, I mean research on FB and you can see what they had for breakfast, dinner and tea for the last three months!

[Biggles50]

It's when people find the right census via a hint but mum will forever remain in her married name. That in turn throws up wrong hints.

I've spent most of the day fumbling through families that keep intermarrying, one of my main surnames and several of my big matches are all intertwined but the interlinked bits are all siblings from the pedigree lines, I'm pretty sure I'm related to everyone in 3 ways though.

Still frustrated with messages not being read. Why is it you can message a mystery DNA match and never hear from them but do a bit of stalking, erm, I mean research on FB and you can see what they had for breakfast, dinner and tea for the last three months!

Hey, don’t knock stalking, that is how I found my Oz Cousins ;-)

[hwlambert]

Hi everyone,
Just an update. I have searched all the trees on Ancestry I could find searching my surname in the right area and have come up with no DNA matches. My grandparents are the right couple and I do have DNA matches to my grandmothers side. It looks like I have no DNA matches to my 2x great grandfather but I do with my 2x great grandmother. I went back one more generation and still no DNA matches. I will now follow up all the unknown matches that have West Yorkshire as a common area with me and see what I can find.
I am glad I took your advice and changed focus for my research. How good is retirement. Thanks again.
Heather