Genealogy Chat

I have recently found out that two out of three children to a married couple in my tree are not the children of the husband.

I have ended up having to delete about 50 names/information all because I didn't order the birth certificates first. For some reason I am unable to delete the third child because I cannot delete his wife for some reason, I have made sure I have deleted all their children first but it still won't let me. E-mail sent to GR asking them to delete for me.

I have then got the task of re-entering all the information I have just had to delete.

Such a lot of work for a simple error, something I won't do again. I am still very much a novice as I have been doing this for just under 2 years but have learnt a valuable lesson. The marriage certificates didn't help as different names are given for their fathers.

As tempting as it may be, don't enter a name without confirming the info first, it really isn't worth it.

Chris

Chris,

I have spent many, many hours researching the wrong Jessie Allen, why ?????? because she came from a middle class family and I was so desperate to find something other than ag labs and sewage workers

Did I have egg on my face when I had to contact the extremely nice guy who is related to that Jessie, and tell him he was not related to me at all

I was walking around Morrisons looking at the tins of beans, as one does, when a thought came into my head.........Jessie had married far below her station and I am sure her parents would never have allowed that. Came home put the beans in the cupboard hot footed it to my records and looked a little further than the end of my pride.

Yes I think I have found my Jessie now, her father was definately working class..

The only thing it cost me was time.

Oh dear Soft as....

I have to say my error was done as I was being naive. There was me thinking the children were that of the husband, silly me.

It obviously proves a lot of things went on even all those years ago.

Chris

Hi Slartibartfast,

That is why I decided to post this thread.

The parents married in 1839. Child 1 born 1840, child 2 1850 and child 3 1853. 'Dad' died in 1860 and mum re-married 6 months later.

Child 2's father named and is not husband, child 3 no father named, waiting for child 1's birth certificate.

From now on, I will enter NOTHING on my tree until I have the birth certificate. As I've found with the youngest two children above, even the marriage certificate is not enough to show who father was.

I have spent an absolute fortune in certificates up to now, and a lot more to be spent in the future.

Chris

I buy certs and try to find other documentary evidence for my direct line. I don't worry too much about their siblings etc. It helps keep the costs down a bit ...

Whenever there is a large gap in a series of children it sets alarm bells ringing. If you can't find parish records to confirm a series of children (plus their early deaths) between census years then buying the certs of the children either side of the gap is sensible - but again, it depends on which child you are descended from doesn't it?

Jill

Forgive me if I have misunderstood.
You have a mother and three children but the wrong father.
No need for wholesale deletion.
just add another partner to wife.Unknown unknown will do.
Now when you click on a child you will have a "change parents" in the centre bar. Just switch father.

Thanks for your reply Mrs Grumpy.

In this particular scenario, I am descended from the youngest child. I have been able to prove the link between child 2 and 3 as they are witnesses at each others marriage, their mum has the same name and they were both born at Wood End Hanbury.

I think I went wrong in not asking advice much earlier on, this error wouldn't have happened if I had.

So, any newbies out there, don't be afraid to ask for help and guidance, and buy certificates it's well worth it.

Chris

Oh SatNav, is it really that simple.

Child 1 may be the son of husband, child 2 another father and child 3 unknown father.

I have deleted loads.

Chris

My mother-in-law (who had passed away before I started family tree) put wrong name for her father on her 2nd marriage cert! If it hadn't been for a long-lost cousin who knew a bit more and was doing her tree too I might have been researching the wrong family to this day. Phew.
Jan

absolutely true .I knew my dads sister Aunt Carrie(Caroline) and that she 13months older than dad who was born in Dec 1907 . was really flummoxed cos couldn't find her birth in SE London where the family lived for generations. We used to go to the LRC at Islington and look in the BIG books of BMD,s but couldn't find a suitable match .In desperation I did order a cert for the same name but born in Lancaster and it WAS her!! seems after grandfather came out of the Army in 1904 he was on Reserve and did go back for a short time and was posted to Lancaster

Goodness this is scary!!! One relative had 11 brothers and sisters and he was next to the youngest, can you imagine getting certs for all them!!!
We did find that grt.grt.grandfather had a different father to his Brother, from their marriage certificates, but both have the same surname as their mother, so we don't know yet if that is her maiden name or was she widowed?? they certainly kept it interesting!!
I listed the second son as father unkown and have put his marriage on our tree with details in the hope that someone may be researching his family..... we live in hope

It might make it awkward for us but doesn't it prove we were all normal?

And great fun to research!

Margaret