Changes to ThruLines

[Olde Crone]

I snigger at the Ancestry hint that tells me they have information about my mother. Not only was the woman NOT my mother, she died some 30 years before I was born. I suppose they have assumed she was my mother because I started a "fishing tree" for a friend. My name doesn't appear anywhere on the tree of course, I'm just the host of it.

I've held off doing a dna test with Ancestry because my brother did one and we realised immediately that just because someone does a dna test doesn't mean their tree is accurate.

OC

[Glen TK]

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

I snigger at the Ancestry hint that tells me they have information about my mother. Not only was the woman NOT my mother, she died some 30 years before I was born. I suppose they have assumed she was my mother because I started a "fishing tree" for a friend. My name doesn't appear anywhere on the tree of course, I'm just the host of it.

I've held off doing a dna test with Ancestry because my brother did one and we realised immediately that just because someone does a dna test doesn't mean their tree is accurate.

OC

As you probably recall many of my requests for about 20 years were based around the Goulson surname. Despite a bullet proof paper trail I finally had to admit I have no Goulson ancestors after my DNA test and large scale de-forestation took place.
I've replaced them with Irish caravan dwelling showmen ancestors though they did acquire one of the first (if not the first), steam driven roundabouts. A descendant did write a book about them in the 1972 but I've spent the last two months proving a lot of the details surrounding births, marriage and deaths have been mangled as they were passed down the generations.

[Olde Crone]

Ah Glen, but even though you had to detach yourself from the Goulson tree, it was a very carefully researched one, so it would be of great use to Goulson researchers. I have a tree on Tribal Pages which contains lots of floating families, those which I researched only to find they were nothing to do with me! I leave them there to remind me I've researched them, but also as a possible help to others. That way, no research is ever wasted and you can bask in the glow of your selfless generosity!

OC

[Glen TK]

Over the years I purchased quite a few 'Goulson' bits from auctions sites. Bottles with the name of the mineral water maker, postcards by the photographer, several indentures & mortgages they signed dating from the 1730's to the early 1900's. Some now live with county archives, the postcards are 1880-1930 period (mostly studio portraits and wedding groups), are now in the custody of a local heritage group and will be forwarded by them to the archives in 2030, the scanned reprints have been been on a bit of a roadshow this year at varied events in the area, some individuals in the pictures have been identified by relatives. It was time to give them an audience other than myself and the handful who found my scans on Flickr.

[Janet]

How nice that all your misapprehended bits and pieces are moving along now to illuminate other people's forays into the past, Glen. They should certainly appreciate your good work.

My mother was secretary to the president of a carousel manufacturer here for over 20 years and always took time to chat in the front office with all the show people who came through to look over and purchase and repair every kind of amusement-park ride. She liked them and stayed in touch with many of them all her life even after she quit working after WWII to marry my father.

I have to say that your Irish caravan-dwelling showmen ancestors therefore sound most intriguing to me! I hope you'll turn up some interesting stories to share with us someday.

[Glen TK]

Originally Posted by Janet

I have to say that your Irish caravan-dwelling showmen ancestors therefore sound most intriguing to me! I hope you'll turn up some interesting stories to share with us someday.

The opening paragraphs of a book published in 1972 (ex Kirklees library copy for £3 on ebay!), offer some insights into them from the mid 1800's though research has shown some dates and places don't match documents. Unfortunately some take everything from the book as definitive and may not get hints to the certs, probate and news cuttings in my tree. On the plus side my knowledge of creating custom facts and non Ancestry sources has really come along leaps and bounds.

John Walsh death detailed in ups & downs resized by Glen Jones, on Flickr

[Janet]

Fabulous! Thanks, Glen.

[marquette]

I wish there was some way to tell Ancestry that the ThruLine is impossible!

A recent DNA match at 24cM is designated paternal, and indeed we have several shared matches with one particular branch of my Dad's family.

However, the Thrulines now suggest a common ancestor through Jopseph Moore and Elizabeth Horton of Northamptonshire. This couple does NOT appear in my paternal family tree, they are the 4th great grandparents of my mother.

Apparently someone else's tree (and there are only 2 besides mine) shows that their daughter Elizabeth (b 1776) had a sister Susannah, born in 1761, who married one William Dawkins in 1799, but had a child in 1780.

I don't think so - the Moores were staunchly non-conformist Baptists and I don't think they would have condoned a 20year relationship without marriage!

PLEASE Ancestry, can I make a note of this somewhere public ? Its noted in the DNA match notes, but I would like to show it more widely.

[Glen TK]

Originally Posted by marquette

I wish there was some way to tell Ancestry that the ThruLine is impossible!

PLEASE Ancestry, can I make a note of this somewhere public ? Its noted in the DNA match notes, but I would like to show it more widely.

Two options spring to mind but they are on the profile page of the individual so does mean some will not see it unless they look;

i) either a note in the text box for the birth
ii) create a custom fact & add the note.

In the example from my tree I'm trying to highlight the unsourced details from a book alongside documented events, whilst 'Also Known As' does appear in the preset list of available facts it can't have a date so would appear at the bottom of the page, my workaround is a custom fact with the same title which can be dated, the date then allows me to select a date to make it appear where I feel is best. It's far from ideal but within the limitations of Ancestry I feel it's the best I can come up with, the addition of images showing paragraphs from the book, certificates, GRO refs and source/citations illustrate both versions of the story so viewers can decide for themselves which is more likely.

flickr custom fact by Glen Jones, on Flickr

[Mary from Italy]

Originally Posted by marquette

I wish there was some way to tell Ancestry that the ThruLine is impossible!

PLEASE Ancestry, can I make a note of this somewhere public ? Its noted in the DNA match notes, but I would like to show it more widely.

When you find a tree with wrong information I think you can add a comment to it: Tools - View Comments - Add a comment.

This may not be picked up by Ancestry's Thrulines system, but at least other researchers should see it.