Genealogy Chat

See below.In a while.

Recently another member gave me permission to look at their tree. We did not have a direct connection but I realised that I had some information for him about another branch of his tree. I did some work on this and today went back to look at his tree to check I wasnt giving him info he already had. I couldnt find the person on his tree. I did a name search on his tree and up popped the man. Strangely, he didnt have any wife or children shown. I assumed my contact had coincidentally removed this information in the last few days. I then did a generation by generation trawl down his tree, checking that I wasnt giving duplicate information. Suddenly, up popped the person I had been looking for, this time complete with wife and children, in exactly the same position on the tree that the man with NO wife and children was! (So its not a case of someone appearing twice in the tree because they are related through someone else) I am mystified - has GR overlaid two trees? Do you access one tree by doing a name search, and another tree by following the generations on the screen? OC

OC It could be a case like I have on my tree. You can't link cousins together who marry, so you actually have to have the person in twice, once to show their parentage and siblings, another time to marry them to their cousin. At first glance, it looks like two totally separate people, but they are in fact related twice! It's the only way GR can do it! Mandy

Even when viewing my own tree I've experienced something similar - a person who I know I've added spouse and children for will show without the tabs for these, yet when I approach from another direction (if that makes sense) there the wife and kids are after all. Must admit I've always assumed this was just anothr of GR trees quaint little foibles :-)

Oh - now you've got me worried! I keep going to people on my tree and thinking 'I'm sure I added spouse/children/siblings - and I can't find them' Don't tell me they are hiding somewhere on a duplicate tree! I can't cope!!!!!!!!! Sue

It's you- or them, rather! I found that I typed a heap of names in, and they vanished some time later, so I retyped them. Now both trees are there, and you never know which one you'll link to which is a pain. I found it really difficult to delete the wrong/duplicate one, after you realise you're there, too. I'd say he typed his tree in twice, with one common name somewhere- sometimes as a marriage, then as a second marriage with the same name, and each branch descends from each marriage.

Mandy No, its not a cousin thing, this man should only appear on this tree once (and only does appear once, in the correct position as son of, sibling of, father of and husband of, if that makes sense. Its just that searching two different ways on this tree, the man appears twice - both times in the right postion, but one search gives him an untabbed box with no wife and children, the other gives the SAME box, with the tabs! Glad I dont bother with the GR tree anymore, I have my updated one on Tribal Pages. It has just this minute very kindly told me that 'You have already entered this person' and that helpful bit of information enabled me to see a link I had missed, thus scooping in a family of 23 'floaters' OC

Yes OC, I've never got to grips with the tabs on the tree either. I usually try and approach from several directions and up they come. How can someone not have a wife if you're looking in one direction and then have one from another - crazy! I gave up on a couple of contacts' trees before I realised. Anne

Buggs But every other tree programme in the world does NOT require you to enter a cousin TWICE! OC