Genealogy Chat

I want to record the details of people with the same surname as mine in the hope that I may find a connection further back in time. Can I do this?

Helen, if you mean on your tree, I suppose you could but I wouldn't advise it as you will have to fabricate a line using terms like 'unknown smith'! This would be very confusing and rather pointless really.
I would just make a note of them somewhere.
In my experience this approach never works - you need to work back methodically. The only time it makes sense to work forwards in time is with siblings of your direct ancestors. For example you might find your great-grandfather Fred has a brother Jim. You might then decide to find out who Jim married, if he had children etc.
Jan

Hi Helen,

I agree strongly with Jan.

Methodical working back can seem slow at times particularly if you strike a patch where every angle you try seems to be a blind street. This whole process is frustrating every now & then, but I chose to change to a completely different branch line & a different type of activity to what I was previously doing elsewhere. It is amazing how unexpected links suddenly turn up from others on this site which get you all fired up again.

Good luck Helen

Lois :-) ;-)

Thanks,

I have gone back as far as I can with my ancestors so I thought I would like to research other people with the same surname. I just need somewhere to record this. Do you know if it is possible to add another tree?

Helen

You can re-register as a free member, but you might need to use a different email address.
Jan

Have a look at:-
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=awidgery&id=I435
It is a one name study of the surname WIDGERY
It has multiple unconnected people and was created on a home computer .
You can do the same.

Just a few points:-

If you want to record details of your surname then do so, all I would say is that you research and follow each one through properly. Within my tree I have done several mini one-name studies covering all instances of particular names, usually those to be found in a particular area. Once you get into it it extremely absorbing, especially as you start connecting the various branches together.

Rather than using GR get yourself a program such as FTM and use that to record your information. It is far easier than using a web based program as it has the flexibility to create and amend relationships, something that you will find essential as you progress with your research.

Should you wish to publish your findings on a website you can then upload as much or as little information as you choose.

Good luck.


P.S. You do not need another email to open an additional account on GR. You only have to use a different password. At the moment I have two accounts on free and the other standard.

Hi Helen,
I agree with most of the above comments, however, there are three exceptions;
1: if you were dealing with a very unusual surname.
2: if you had a geographically localized family and a moderately unusual surname.
3:if you knew of a migratory route of the family and a moderately unusual surname. I much the same sort of dilemma researching my own tree. I did know that there was likely to be a migratory route between Dover and London over the 16th to 17th centuries. Subsiquently I discovered countless links in the parish records confined to the villages of the A2 corridor in Kent. So many that the task became impossible. Well impossible until we achieve some sort of DNA database anyway.

Helen

Worth checking http://www.one-name.org/ to see if the surname of interest is aleady being researched.

Chris

My surname is Caroline so it is quite unusual. Tried the one-name website and it was negative. What is the best FTM around?

Helen,

yes, I would guess that you're on a pretty good wicket with a name like Caroline. Is the family fairly localized? Does it appear to localize as you go back through time? I would say that you might well be advised to follow the self publication web site route. You would not need a FTM for this, just a lot of typing. Preferably in HTML.

As far as FTM goes, it depends what you are trying to do. It all comes down to the ged file. GR's own FTM is more than adequate. Alternatively we have the off-line software. Do you want to edit or just read the data? Do you want graphical interpretation? If you don't know what the ged file is,
start learning now.

FTM is short for Family Tree Maker, which is one of the most popular tree programs around, but there are others that you might want to look at too. Whatever you decide expect to pay around £20.

The reason I suggest you get a decent tree program is that you will find it is so much easier to manage your data. This is especially true when you want to manage multiple relationships between different branches which you will inevitably come across. This is something that you simply can not easily using the much simplified program on a web site such as GR

.ged or gedcom files are specifically formatted data text files which allow you to move genealogical data between different tree programs. They are not a substitute for, nor do they replace the tree program itself.

ADDITIONAL

Helen,

maybe Caroline is not as unusual as we first thought. Take a look at the site http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Caroline

It seems that the surname Caroline is first recorded in the 19th century and is a variant of the old Irish name 'Carolan'. I would suggest that with one stroke of the mouse the uniqueness of your name has all but vanished. You now will have to search for Carolines and Carolans!
Sorry about that.

There is already a registered One Name Study for CAROLAN

http://www.one-name.org/cgi-bin/search.cgi?find=2591

I am researching a fairly localised surname and have 2 so far seperate families living in a small coastal town in 17thC. through to present day.
It was only by collected ALL available references from parish registers etc. that I was able to sort out these families.
On our home computer I have them all logged and should I need to I can just click...' Link to existing person' and I can include any of them into trees.
Similarly I have researched a family who MAY be my 3 x great grandparents. I know their other offspring and it is likely that they are parents of my GG grandfather, but until I find more proof and can click that Link button, they stay logged on the sidelines.

With unusual surnames I think it is VERY helpful to note all instances of the name in an area, then gradually look further.

Gwyn