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Missing Links
vs. Myth-ing Links: Using FamilySearch™ To Find Your Correct Ancestors
by
James W. Petty, AG, CGRS, BS (Genealogy), BA (History).
Every Lee family
member wonders if they were related to General Robert E. Lee. Every
Franklin wonders if there was a Benjamin in their past. And every
Humphries has a claim to a man named Pelham (Sorry, but that's a
whole other story). Finding the link to that possible relative or
set of earlier ancestors points to an interesting genealogical dilemma.
There is really
just a fine line between "Missing Links" and "Myth-ing Links". A
missing link is an ancestor who is unknown, but is the tie between
a known history of real people and a possible group of earlier ancestors
in a documented genealogy. A Myth-ing Link is that uncertain ancestor
who can link the known people of history with the people or historical
account the researcher wants to be connected to, for which there
is no documentation. It would seem logical that every researcher
would be seeking the "missing link" and avoid the myth, but it is
surprising how many people cling to the myths of family tradition,
or seek out supposed glory by connecting to a historical figure.
Bob Jordan
was just amazed. He had been searching for his ancestors for some
time, and had struggled just to identify his great great grandfather
Mark Snow, who died in Vermillion Co., Illinois in 1848. In a cemetery
record he learn that Mark was born in Montpelier, Vermont on Jan.
30, 1800. With that information in hand, he searched the Ancestral
File database, part of the FamilySearch™ Internet genealogy site
and discovered Marcus Snow, born Jan. 30, 1800 in Montpelier, Vermont;
the son of Jonathan Snow and Lydia Hammett. But what amazed Bob
was what was attached to that information. Snows and Hammetts grew
into Sears and Braleys, and then into Freemen and Shermans. The
information continued on back in time, not just for three or even
four generations, but for six and seven generations. Nicholas Snow,
his ancestor 12 generations back was born in 1530! Bob discovered
that his 10th generation grandfather married the daughter
of Thomas Prence, one of the first governors of Massachusetts. And
another ancestor was William Brewster, one of the Pilgrims who arrived
in America on the ship Mayflower in 1620! These weren't just people
of history, these were the stuff American myths were made of; and
they were HIS ancestors! But were they really?
My son approached
me recently and asked: "How reliable is FamilySearch™?" His friend
Eamon and wife April had just discovered her ancestry using FamilySearch™
on the family history site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. FamilySearch™ revealed hundreds of names and dozens of generations
of April's forefathers back into England in the 1500's. They were
just thrilled. My answer was enthusiastic, but qualified. I was
happy for their success in finding new information about her genealogy,
but...and I emphasized the "but", the information in the FamilySearch™
site may not be documented, and shouldn't be considered accurate
without additional confirming research. I explained that this Internet
site is simply a tool to help people share and find genealogy information.
As mentioned,
Family Search™ is the family history Internet site of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has been one of the most
popular sites visited on the Internet, receiving millions of "hits"
every day. It is perhaps the most important information source available
for people searching their genealogy and family history, but like
all compiled databases, it also has some serious drawbacks. Many
people will use this collection and discover a treasure of new information
about their family. Too many of them will accept their new found
genealogy as fact, and never bother checking it out to learn what
their correct genealogy might really be. Understanding this site
more fully will help all researchers evaluate the information it
contains properly, so that it can be used to further their genealogy
efforts.
Family Search™
(located on the Internet at www.familysearch.org), is actually a
collection of several different computer databases, namely:
- Ancestral
File™ - A database consisting of lineages submitted by patrons
of the Family History Library (both LDS and non-LDS). The file
consists of both pedigrees and family group records. None of these
records include documentation.
- International
Genealogical Index™ (IGI) - A database consisting of names of
ancestors relating to specific birth and marriage events. Part
of this information was submitted by members of the LDS Church
as submissions for temple ordinance work. The other part of the
file was added as the result of names submitted for temple ordinance
work by the Family History Library resulting from the Names Extraction
Program. Some of this information includes documentation.
- Pedigree
Resource File™ - Material relating to the Ancestral File, in pedigree
form, but also including unedited notes, and source descriptions.
- Social Service
Death Index - This index was prepared by the Social Security Department
of the federal government, and pertains to Social Security Application
forms of persons who have been reported deceased since the advent
of Social Security in 1937.
- Vital Records
- Various vital records information, consisting of parish register
data, civil registration, and other sources, for a number of different
countries. Presently only records for Mexico and Scandinavia are
included on the Internet, but additional sources will be added
in the future.
These collective
databases represent more than a quarter of a billion names, making
it one of the largest on-line databases on the Internet. By using
this file a researcher has access to information submitted by tens
of thousands of other genealogists, and numerous original resources.
Even with this much information available, the data in FamilySearch
is still just a drop in the bucket. None of the billions of people
alive in the world today appear in these files, because the administrators
of the program respect the right to privacy that people deserve,
and therefore they do not include data about living individuals.
The fact that
these databases are compiled sources tells us they contain a lot
of information that is undocumented. The people managing the Ancestral
File and other databases have neither the means nor the ability
to verify each item submitted to these collections. Consequently,
the decision was made not to try to do that, but offer the information
to the public on a "buyer beware" basis. Information found in the
database may be correct, or it may not. To help researchers visiting
the FamilySearch™ site to understand that some information submitted
by patrons may be inaccurate, the Ancestral File database program
indicates with a plus (+) when alternative possibilities exist.
That way the alternative information can be studied and considered
by the researcher.
Extracted records
are an extremely important and useful part of these collections.
Civil and Church Records, such as parish registers from England,
Denmark, or Mexico (to mention a few), or birth and marriage files
from Ireland or Germany, and many other countries are included in
both the IGI and Ancestral File. These are names and dates from
original record sources, making the search in these databases the
first step in original record research. Those records can then be
searched on microfilm (available through the Family History Library
and its branches). FamilySearch also provides on-line access to
the catalogue of the Family History Library, so that a researcher
can find out what records are available through the library network,
and which records have to be searched by correspondence, or through
the original archive or research center.
Like the two
cases mentioned at the beginning of this article, anyone using it
has the potential of tapping into information that might extend
their genealogy anywhere from one to twenty or more generations.
But, as mentioned, this resource has serious drawbacks. Except for
the information that was added to the IGI and Ancestral File databases
by the extraction programs of the Family History Library, almost
none of the other information is documented. It might be well researched,
correct information; or it might be myths and fantasies submitted
by untrained or wishful enthusiasts.
Despite all
of the good information that can be gained from FamilySearch™, numerous
errors exist. Many dates and places of events are estimated, with
little certainty of accuracy. Many names and relationships, gathered
by untrained hobbyists, are simply wrong. The information that Mr.
Jordan gathered from FamilySearch™ included many valid names and
family connections, but almost every family group that appeared
on his downloaded pedigree contained errors and outright mistakes.
Some errors pertain to simple clerical mistakes. Others are glaring
falsehoods, created perhaps because people submitting the data wanted
a connection to history, and the only way to achieve it was to make
it up. Recently I saw a lineage back to Henry Howland who was an
early settler in Plymouth Colony, a few years after the arrival
of the Mayflower. Henry's brother, John Howland, was one of the
Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower. The submitter of this lineage
may have wanted to demonstrate a direct connection to the Pilgrims,
and so identified Henry as the son of John Howland, rather than
as his brother, and that way he could claim descent from one of
the original Plymouth settlers. Other mistakes that are very blatant
include listing birthplaces that wouldn't be possible, such as showing
someone born in Ohio, a century before America was even settled!
FamilySearch™
is really just a tool, a resource to assist genealogists in finding
correct lineages. It is generally easier to confirm and correct
existing information than having always to re-invent the wheel.
Most researchers are not seeking the "Myth-ing Link" in their genealogy,
because the myth will always be a lie. If in the course of that
evaluation, it is discovered that a lineage is wrong, valuable information
will have been learned, incorrect information identified, and new
steps taken to correct the data. But should the information prove
to be correct, a wonderful new portion of family history will have
been added to your genealogy for a minimum amount of work. Use FamilySearch™
wisely, and use it often. New clues lead to new discoveries, and
that is what genealogy research is all about.
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© 2002 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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