GR & living relatives

[Asa]

I've had a horrible experience, discovering I appear on someone's tree on GR under my birth name, as does a half sister, biological parents and so on. I haven't got a sub but do look in from time to time and have sent GR a message asking them to remove the people as the tree owner doesn't have permission. Does anyone know if GR do this and if they act quickly? - I'm assuming the site's policy is still the same.

It's particularly mortifying for me because I know how the info got there. Some years ago, I shared a tree with a researcher with whom I share a 5x great grandfather of a rare surname. She was very helpful and gave me access to her Tribal pages tree but I discovered she'd added all of us to that tree. All of the living people were hidden on my tree on GR but she'd used the GRO indices to work out who was who. When I complained she removed access and herself from GR but she's clearly kept the info and continues to share it

[KiwiChris]

When that sort of thing happened to me, I seem to remember that there was a bit of discussion between me and GR before they finally removed the information. The person concerned was not myself but an adopted relative who I know did not give permission. I think if it is you that is to be removed, and you clearly say that to GR, then they should do it quickly.

[Asa]

Thanks Chris. I'm waiting for a reply. Why anyone would want to include such distant living relatives on their tree I can't imagine

[KiwiChris]

I know, name collectors drive me spare!

In my case I shared some information with a contact who was doing an unofficial one name study and had given me a lot of information on the family before my branch headed off to New Zealand. I thought it only fair to share the NZ information, only to then find it all on someone elses tree on GR.

As I know I was the source, I was mortified to see it all there. From memory in the end I sent GR a list of all of the living people and they removed them all, not just the adopted one.

I am now very careful what information I share when it is not my direct line, nothing of living people and generally only a generation sideways from the confirmed link person.

[Olde Crone]

I think GR will quickly remove you, Asa, as they will be scared you'll sue them, lol. However, do keep an eye open because it isn't unknown for the offender to put you back on their tree once the heat has died down.

Why? Who knows? Maybe to show the world what a clever researcher they are.

OC

[Kit]

If you are part of the tree I don't consider that name collecting. Or maybe I am a name collector. I love following down a branch or twig to as far as I can go.

The difference between me and the person on GR is that I would not have included you or anyone living online. I get rather upset seeing my grandparents online and they have been dead over 20years.

[Asa]

Thanks Chris and OC - I hope you're right. Chris, I really do feel mortified for the same reason, even though I had my living relatives hidden. Since that happened, I removed my tree from GR and only have private ones on Ancestry now.

Kit, the surname this researcher and I had in common was a rare one and I think all those of the name in the GRO are connected so I think I have a tree with them all on paper - more like a one name study I suppose. Generally, I'm not interested in sixth cousins and so on and like you, I wouldn't put living people on. I usually don't record C20th stuff on distant relations. The rather sad thing is, I initially thought my half-sister had 'turned up'.

[Kit]

That would have been disappointing about your half sister. Don't give up, she may appear at some stage.

Sometimes the more distant relations can be quite interesting with the things they do. But I feel that they are still family of some sort, and I like to have them remembered. I have also found it interesting how extended family can intermarry in a period of time. They might have been distant relations but clearly some family still keep up those relationships.

Also I have found that sometimes a very distant connection can help you sort out a family. I worked closely with a man who I was not related to at all. We came from different sides of a family but both wanted to work out our mutual relatives.

Everyone is different though and I have no problem with you not being interested in distant cousins.

[Phoenix]

Just checked and best mate is in SIX times. Four trees are patently generated by ex husband but I don't recognise the other two names.

Mercifully only one of her grandchildren appears online, but again I don't recognise all the tree owners.

There is no way GR should ever allow children's names to appear.

[Kit]

I agree, children should never be allowed.