| Beginners to genealogy are often very excited to | | | | are detailed in the published material. Others are |
| find family trees extending back several more | | | | based on hearsay and conjecture, and contain |
| generations from grandparents or great | | | | many errors. The further back in time, the more |
| grandparents. Wow - there are names, | | | | likely there are to be errors of various kinds. |
| approximate birth years, and more details. It | | | | For example, in one family line of mine, there are |
| immediately fills in your family line on one side of | | | | many Grover Buell men, generation after |
| your family. Great - now you can brush your | | | | generation, through siblings and side-lines. So many |
| hands off and go look for more information for | | | | of them, born close together in time and place, |
| one of your other family lines. | | | | that some histories have condensed several of |
| But, wait a minute here before you copy or | | | | them into one, thinking that "someone" made a |
| merge that new-found family tree with yours. | | | | mistake with the dates etc. I have had to list |
| How can you be certain that those ancestors are | | | | each one and research each one to be sure I |
| truly yours? That any of the details are even | | | | have "my" Grover Buell! Luckily, others have been |
| correct? | | | | doing some of the research as well, and share |
| You may find - as I did - that an online family | | | | their results online. We have shared finding |
| tree had the wrong great-grandmother for one | | | | gravestones with the correct person and his wife, |
| family line of mine. That error meant that many | | | | and documents of tax rolls and more. "Cousins" |
| other people had copied the incorrect information | | | | online are so helpful! |
| into their own family trees, adding several | | | | That said about pitfalls, there are often very |
| generations of the wrong ancestors. Whoops! | | | | accurate family trees online, that have been |
| How did I know it was an error? Because we had | | | | researched well, and have source material |
| a family story of my great grandfather's wife's | | | | attached to individuals in the trees. For instance, a |
| family having a "Grover" as a maiden name | | | | published history details when an ancestor first |
| several generations back... plus there were totally | | | | came to a newly carved out village in Connecticut, |
| different family first names in my family line. More | | | | names his sons and their ages at the time, |
| searching online, with details of marriages, and it | | | | describes his occupation over time, and his |
| became clear where my great grandmother's | | | | daughters' married names. Wow - what a find! |
| family line came from: Buell, not Doolittle. By going | | | | And there are additional details found in the |
| up and then down the family line, I was able to | | | | village's church registers of each person, |
| confirm detail after detail with documents and | | | | marriages, their children, plus deaths and burials. |
| registrations, plus obituaries, in order to be certain | | | | Even a few gravestone photographs. Confirmation |
| of the accuracy of my results. As you can | | | | of details is so exciting! |
| imagine, I learned a great deal with this research | | | | One of my family lines joined up with a |
| project! | | | | well-known surname family line which had been |
| One of the things that will strike you as you look | | | | researched extensively. As the surname |
| at online trees, is that many people simply copy | | | | organization had original sources and details |
| one person's family tree. So there may be 15 | | | | verified, I was able to merge safely and |
| family trees all saying exactly the same thing | | | | accurately with that ancestor's descendants. For |
| about names/dates/places... But that may be the | | | | the challenge, I still researched through the direct |
| result of 14 copies of one original. The fact that | | | | line to be sure that in fact the family tree worked |
| there are many copies does not make the | | | | in both directions, up and down, and there were |
| original, true! | | | | primary sources to support the details. Yes it did, |
| How can you tell if this wealth of detail you found | | | | and I was thrilled to find so much interesting |
| is correct for your family tree? There is only one | | | | information on that family line. |
| way: verify each of the details with original source | | | | If you find a family tree line which merges with |
| material if at all possible. An excellent source could | | | | one of your line, take the time to write the |
| be birth registrations (government or church) | | | | person who has input the details, asking for their |
| which list both parents including maiden names of | | | | research or sources of the information. Several |
| mothers. Other sources may include the following: | | | | times I've received a response of "I can't |
| gravestones, church registers, pension records, | | | | remember where I found this information but it |
| census records over several decades, or marriage | | | | was online somewhere." Oh dear. Now you will |
| registrations which also may list both parties' | | | | need to be very creative looking for those |
| parents names and birthplaces or residences. | | | | records. Of course, this will remind you that you |
| Once you are back to the early 1800s or before | | | | must make certain that if YOU find a source for |
| that time, it may be quite challenging to find | | | | details, you will definitely copy the source and |
| sources, but keep digging and you may find | | | | webpage address into the individual's record for |
| treasure. | | | | future reference. |
| At times, there may be published histories or | | | | As you can see, there are wonderful possibilities |
| genealogies of particular towns or villages which | | | | when searching online for family tree information. |
| detail some of your ancestors. As the histories | | | | And of course, there are challenging pitfalls as well. |
| were often written about 80-100 years or more | | | | Never use online trees as "sources" for your |
| after the fact, taken from sources you may not | | | | family tree details: they should be considered as |
| be able to find or read, you will need to consider | | | | tentative guidelines for your further researches, |
| them secondary sources which will still need more | | | | instead. Once you can verify details with other |
| verification. In the late 1800s in the United States, | | | | documents and sources, you will be able to cite |
| for example, family genealogies became very | | | | those sources for others researching the same |
| popular and many families had "professionals" | | | | line as your family ancestors. Plus you will be |
| write out their family tree in detail. Some of these | | | | certain of the accuracy of your family tree. |
| are very well researched, and the sources used | | | | Happy searching. |