Lesson #5 Analyzing your Pedigree for Correctness

ANYLIZING YOUR PEDIGREE FOR CORRECTNESS

Lesson #5 YOU ARE THE "CLEAN-UP" AND "GET IT RIGHT" GENERATION. LEAVE SUCH GOOD GENEALOGICAL TRACKS THAT ANYONE COULD EASILY FOLLOW YOUR PEDIGREE CHARTS, FAMILY GROUP SHEETS, AND DOCUMENTATION TRAIL, AND NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO QUESTION WHERE YOU OBTAINED THE INFORMATION SHOWN IN YOUR RECORDS, NOR, EXACTLY WHAT IT SAID!! SYNOPSIS Pedigree analysis is a continual process, not a onetime proposition. It should be used with each new link created in the genealogical chain, for each new Family Group Sheet obtained/created, each generation added to your pedigree chart, and at any other time you want to review or analyze the results of your own or someone else's genealogical research. Three of the major objective of pedigree analysis might be stated as follows:

1. TO HELP INSURE THAT CORRECT PEDIGREE OR ANCESTRAL LINES ARE ESTABLISHED

2. THAT ALL MEMBERS OF ANCESTRAL FAMILIES ARE UNIQUELY IDENTIFIED AND PROPERLY PLACED WITHIN THEIR OWN FAMILY UNIT.

3. TO IDENTIFY, DEFINE, AND ESTABLISH RESEARCH GOALS –You cannot build a solid house on a flawed base.

******************* Start with a large Pedigree Chart ( 12 or 15 generation ) and a Family Group Record The process of pedigree analysis is greatly facilitated when genealogical information has been recorded on a large pedigree chart. For each person identified record a family group record in PAF. This allows for quick overview and acts as a guide leading to the PRACTICE of pedigree analysis which consists of looking for and identifying:

A. MISSING OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION – “about” dates, “probably born” places, or “could have been” a son, daughter, father, mother etc.

Missing Temple data ~ use PAF Insights© $28.00 at www.ohanasoftware.com and Update My Records at FHL. ( on Temple Ready program) Always use the earliest temple dates !

B. DISCREPANT OR CONFLICTING INFORMATION – birth dates and marriages don’t add up. Look at the large pedigree chart and notice if all generations match within 20 years or less.

C. QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION – which pieces of information do not fit, or lack thereof, this then becomes your research goal.

Using Lists For Analyzing Your Pedigree

1. Possible problems ..

2. LDS Incomplete individual ordinances

3. LDS Incomplete marriage sealings

4. Duplicate individuals ( usually happens when merging two data bases)

5. Unlinked individuals

6. End of line individuals –a starting point for new research

ALWAYS Preview before you print

SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES TO USE WHEN ANALYZING PEDIGREE CHART AND FAMILY GROUP SHEET INFORMATION –

1. U.S. population movement was generally East to West..but not always.

 Initial settlements were on or near waterways

 The paths of “least resistance” were followed

 Rivers and canals were used as highways

 Old Indian trails became roads

 Neighbors tended to move together and/or settle near each other

 Ethnic groups tended to move together and/or settle near each other

 Religious groups tended to move together and/or settle near each other

 Extended family members tended to live with and/or near each other

1. European population movement may have depended upon the time period and what was going on in that country. For example, when the Huguenots were being persecuted, they went South, East, West and North, and across the ocean, depending upon which country offered them refuge at the time. When Catherine the Great opened Russia to settlement by large groups of basically ethnic Germans, thousands of people moved from West to East. Conversely, when these people's descendants felt the heavy yoke of later Russian leaders, they left en masse - traveling East to West!

2. A female's child-bearing years could range from 12-50+! Search minimally from before the marriage date through age 50 for children.

3. A male usually married between 20 to 25, Women between 18 to 20

4. First child was born within a year or two of marriage

5. Stillborn didn’t always mean born dead, but can mean only lived a short time.

6. Only "natural" birth control was available in earlier time periods. Gaps of more than 3 years between the births of children should be thoroughly documented. Known stillborns should be listed in their proper chronological sequence.

7. First child was usually born where parents were married.

8. There should be at least 2-3, and if possible 4 levels of locality/jurisdiction listed for any major life event (birth, christening, marriage, death, burial). Know the levels of Jurisdictons for the country you are recording For example:

PloRstad (farm (address), Lenvik (parish), Troms (county), Norway ( country ) !! Use only governmental jurisdictions on Pedigree Chart and Family Group Records ~ Record addresses like 1234 Broadway, in Notes or as comments in Sources. Be consistent, however, in how and where you add these addresses St. Mary's (city), Chester (parish within city), Cheshire (county), England Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Cemetery names should go in burial sources not in Burial field. Record the name of Cemetery in Sources if you have used a cemetery record to validate burial information. Or record in “notes”; Buried: Casey Cemetery, Seven Springs ,(city/town), Wayne (county), North Carolina

9. Think PHONETICALLY!!! There were no spelling/grammar rules until this century in most of the world. Names and places were spelled as the RECORD-KEEPER'S EARS HEARD AND Their native tongue INTERPRETED THEM ! ! If you come across a name or place that is phonetically plausible to yours DO NOT DISREGARD IT ! I indexed a record last week that had spelled the name Gustav as Gustuff. Another record generated from a New York census was obviously take be a person with a Bronx accent as all As were written down as “r” s; Maria was written as Marir etc. We as indexers must write them as they are spelled.

10. Handwriting ~Search creatively – when reading an original document or using an extracted one, get familiar with both the handwriting and incorrect spelling. A’s can look like o’s and even “u”s . Small “e” is difficult because it can be mistaken for an “I”. “W” can look like “M” , “L” like “S” the old double ss is often mistaken for a “ p” as the last name Bass can look like Bap and so forth. Look on internet for hand writing deciphering A fun one http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/oldhand.html Below is a letter chart from indexing. This can give you some clues. Hint! Compare how the writer made letter on names and words you can identify. When searching an indexed record always refer to the original to find missing names knowing handwriting can be hard to read and spelling can be questionable at best. I indexed a record last week that had spelled the name Gustav as Gustuff. Another record generated from a New York census was obviously take be a person with a Bronx accent as all As were written down as “r” s; Maria was written as Marir etc. We as indexers must write them as they are spelled.

SOME GUIDELINES FOR NOTE-KEEPING AND RECORDING YOUR DATA…..

OR HOW TO FRUSTRATE A FUTURE "PEDIGREE ANALYZER" OF YOUR WORK BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT!!!!

 Make “Tags” in your notes to designate information that is true/has been proved, but might appear questionable to someone else looking at your records. Make sure it is thoroughly documented and put it in your computer notes or written format, whichever note-keeping style you use. For example:

VERIFIED:"Johannah Carol Maria Bodon is the true name of child number 3 on his FGS. Elb Parish, Brandenburg, Germany; Film No. 123408, p. 10, entry 2". DESCREMPANCY: Bible records birth of John McQuen has Oct 15 1925, however birth certificate gives date as Oct 15 1926 we have determined birth certificate is valid as bible record was recorded twenty years after birth. NEEDS FURTHER RESERCH:...There is quite a mix up between the parents of Robert. His grandson says in his handwritten history the father of Robert was George Baker and Catherine ( may be Paige )of Donhead, Wiltshire, England . Another researcher has his parents as Robert and Ann in Stratfordshire. Robert was born in Stratfordshire, a sesrch of parish records is needed.

 Capitalize all letters of the SURNAME/SURNAMES (FAMILY NAME/S). ( see preferences in PAF under tools/names ) record names as they would be said, first, middle, last. Thomas Angel DIDRIKS

 Write dates as DAY (numbers), MONTH (3 letters), YEAR. 10 Jul 1650, 2 Feb 1956 DO NOT USE NUMBERS FOR THE MONTHS, OR LIST ONLY PART OF A YEAR !

 Write/spell all localities out in FULL, from smallest to largest area or jurisdiction! Family Insights© will speed up this cleanup process $28.00. In Insights go to edit places and expand fully all abbreviated jurisdictions Put United States after all States and United Kingdom after all English jurisdictions. Free at FHL or download both programs online at www.ohana software.com

 Use the "English" version of the country name, but do record the native language spelling of the locality name and list the source in the notes/documentation for the problem. For example:

The birthplace of a European born grandmother should not be listed as, "Albrechtsflor, Torontal, Urn", but rather as "Albrechtsflor, Torontal, HUNGARY". To find corresponding modern place names “Google it”. Copy the old place name and paste it in the search engine. REMEMBER - USE GOOD METHODICAL RESEARCH PRACTICES –ACCURATELY RECORD YOUR FINDINGS- THEN SHARE !!!!