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  • Mix and match?

    I have ancestors who lived in a couple of v.small villages in Worcestershire. As there were big families in those days, there are quite a few people with the same surnames - as well as quite a few with the same given names AND surnames, of course - on the census records and from the FS website. It seems most likely that they are all (or almost all) related in some way, but I don't quite know how to go about sorting them out into family units.

    I have managed to put some into their proper places in my tree, but am stumped as to how, with any degree of accuracy, to work out the relationship to others with the same surname.

    For instance, there could be a baptism of an Ann Smith, and then a death of an Ann Smith (with no age given). I can't assume that they are one and the same person, because the one who died could have been a woman who'd married into the family.

    I'm thinking that if I made a card for each happening (i.e. each baptism, marriage and/or burial), then as more information came to hand (from censuses or wherever), I could add the people to the tree and that would gradually reduce the amount of unknowns.

    Or is there a better way?

    Any help gratefully received.

    STG
    Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

  • #2
    Is there any chance of getting copies/transcriptions of the parish registers - if not available online, then maybe from the local FHS.
    Burial registers often showed abode and age, which can be of help when trying the find out who the entry may relate to.

    Personally I find it easier to keep the data on a program rather than on paper/card. Depending on how many "extras" I have, I either start a new tree and enter up all that I have found and then merge them into families - or if there are only a few I would add them as "orphaned groups" to my tree (i.e. not attached to anyone) - then once you have found the connection you can attach the person(s) to your main tree.
    Elaine







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    • #3
      I do more or less what Elaine does - put these "floaters" in my tree (Tribal Pages is good for this!) until such time as I can gradually link various people together.

      Monumental inscriptions and Wills are often very helpful in sorting out these otherwise random people into family groups.

      OC

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      • #4
        I also do as Elaine suggests. I use Family Historian and this allows unrelated individuals/family groups to be shown on the same chart. I find the visual effect of this useful in lining up individuals of a similar age group and spotting where there is an overlap between family groups etc
        Judith passed away in October 2018

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        • #5
          I've checked for wills, but not found any, and I've already haunted the local churchyards.

          I'm taking myself off to Worcester next month for a few days of Ancestor Bothering (as my OH calls it) at the County Records Office there, so will probably come back with even more floaters than I go with.

          I've got FTM, so am now wondering if I could start a new tree there with all these floaters. Like the idea of being able to see them in FT-mode, because that does work for me. Might just give it a go and see if it works.
          Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

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          • #6
            Re FTM - yes you can start a new tree - in fact you can have as many as you want!
            Elaine







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            • #7
              Yes, see that I can now - I've previously only imported trees from Ancestry, never started one at FTM.

              Was a bit flummoxed at first because it asks for Name, then Father's Name, then Mother's Name, but now I see that I could put "Ann Smith" in name and a dob, say 1797, and then add a new person "John Jones " and a dob, say 1790. Then when you view it in tree format, it gives both peeps, unconnected, but John's name is higher on the page than Ann's, which helps with the timeline.

              But then if I add parents for Ann, she jumps above John on the page, presumably because her parents were born before John. A bit confusing. Think it will take some getting used to.
              Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

              Comment


              • #8
                A little tip which I find useful ... if you are not already doing it and presuming you are using FTM 2010 or later.
                In the left hand column, where you have the index of individuals, it is sometimes very confusing when you have a number of people who all have the same surname, and very often matching first names.
                Next to the home icon (little house) just above the index of names, you will see 3 vertical lines. Click on that and you have the option to display more than just the names.
                I normally select the option "birth date" for the display - but in your case you might find the "timeline" option more useful - which gives a display such as 1830 - (blank) .... or (blank) - 1850
                Elaine







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                • #9
                  Thanks for that tip Elaine.

                  Don't suppose you happen to know this as well, do you?

                  I have FTM 2011 and claimed my free 6mths Ancestry sub way back then. I see on the 2012 Deluxe Edition, where the box has Ancestry.co.uk printed across the top, it offers "3 months 'Essentials ' Membership". Any ideas what Essentials is, please? I have Premium UK. Is that the same?
                  Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

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                  • #10
                    Essentials is the basic subscription to the UK site. Premium is the higher one.
                    If you open up Ancestry and sign in - click on UPGRADE at the top right.
                    On the next page "My account options" - at the bottom of that section you will see "Can't decide .. compare the memberships"

                    Click on "compare the memberships" and you should get a pop up chart showing what each has to offer.
                    Elaine







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                    • #11
                      Thanks. I do feel that I am being particularly dim today. Sorry.
                      Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        You can let your current sub expire (make sure you cancel the auto renew) - then install the FTM 2012 and activate the free 3 month Essentials sub - and then go to Ancestry and click on the upgrade. You should then get a price for upgrading from Essentials to Premium (if that's the sub you need).

                        Alternatively - make a phone call to them on the freephone number and explain your predicament. They are usually very helpful over the phone!
                        Elaine







                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Seem to remember when I loaded FTM 2011, it only gave me 3mths free, so I had to ring Ancestry, but they happily altered it to 6mths.

                          Think I'll leave the upgrade for another year, maybe the 2014 edition of FTM.

                          STG
                          Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Another method would be to set up a database, with columns for: forename; birth yr (add month & day); birthplace; parents; spouse; marriage yr; marriage place; death yr; place; burial place & yr.
                            Use a new row for each piece of data (unless you already know that 2 events belong to the same individual.)
                            You should then be able to "sort" your data by any column heading, which will help with matching up new data with what is currently in your database - e.g child of Joseph & Phoebe/buried in x location/ can't be child of those parents because mother's already dead/ I THOUGHT xx had died when an infant but new data disproves that etc.

                            I found a database was easier than shuffling index cards around on the floor, clipping them together when I thought I had a match, and physically combing through the box of cards, which I could only index by one criterion. I also drew rough copy small trees and compiled family groups, which I could spread out to compare and amend as necessary.

                            Jay
                            Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 20-07-13, 13:45.
                            Janet in Yorkshire



                            Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Janet in Yorkshire View Post
                              Another method would be to set up a database, with columns for: forename; birth yr (add month & day); birthplace; parents; spouse; marriage yr; marriage place; death yr; place; burial place & yr.
                              Set up a database! Me?

                              Nice thought, but way outside my skill set.
                              Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                STG

                                If I can set up a database believe me, ANYONE can!

                                One thing you do have to remember is to check your index of names EVERY time you find out a new snippet otherwise you will find you have the same person in twice, although that is usually quite easy to spot in the timeline format.

                                Personally I really love doing these mini trees and I have done two large villages this way - still not complete yet but adding stuff all the time. Only this week I've linked my 5 x GGM to another tree on the internet - he didn't know about my 3GGM, I didn't know about his as we had been using different sources. It's so gratifying when it all comes together.

                                OC

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                                • #17
                                  Hi OC

                                  Assume you need a database software program, which I don't have. Or do you use a free one, and if so which? Might like to do this as a challenge during the long winter evenings.

                                  STG
                                  Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    I use (or used to use) Microsoft Office, which was installed on my computer when I got it, for a spreadsheet type database but nowadays I really just add any information directly onto my tree. Tribal Pages allows you to see individuals alphabetically by their year of birth and I think most other FT programmes do too.

                                    Tip: As a completely useless techie computer type, I found it easiest to set up the database in "Card view" format, which is exactly like making an individual card for each person but which displays the information as a spreadsheet if you want it to. Setting up a spreadsheet appeared to be beyond me as far as heading up columns etc.

                                    OC

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                                    • #19
                                      In case you don't know, all parish records are now in The Hive, the name they've given to our new Library in the centre of town.
                                      Daphne

                                      Looking for Northey, Goodfellow, Jobes, Heal, Lilburn, Curry, Gay, Carpenter, Johns, Harris, Vigus from Cornwall, Somerset, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, USA, Australia.

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                                      • #20
                                        Thanks Daphne

                                        I've been in touch with The Hive and the staff there have been very helpful.

                                        Am trying to immerse myself into this Tree so that when I'm there I can recall who's who.

                                        STG
                                        Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

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