Oh dear..... - Genealogists' Forum

Sue from Southend · #1 22-02-15, 16:56

My sister has just told me that an elderly aunt by marriage has discovered the joys of the internet and was researching the family tree on Ancestry. I've just found her tree and sent her a message offering to share what I know with her. I really should have looked more closely at her tree first - it is a catalogue of errors as she's gaily utilised any tree that contains the name "Butcher"

(a rare occasion when I wish mine was public and that she'd copied that!)

I'm told that she is really enjoying doing her "research" - how do I tell her that it's all wrong? She's almost housebound and quite lonely so I don't want spoil her enjoyment of her new hobby but it really is utter tosh.....

What would you do?

kiterunner · #2 22-02-15, 17:07

Oh dear, I have to say I chickened out when I found a glaring error in the research that one of my fairly close relatives had done as it meant that most of their tree was wrong. I just waited for them to discover the error for themselves, but of course it meant I didn't dare to update that branch of my online tree with the correct version until I could see they had corrected theirs.

Merry · #3 22-02-15, 17:13

Nothing at all, and I'd try not to look at her tree!

Is she likely to contact you at all?

Sue from Southend · #4 22-02-15, 17:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merry

Nothing at all, and I'd try not to look at her tree!

Is she likely to contact you at all?

Only if she replies to my message on Ancestry! Oh how I wish I'd looked more closely before contacting her then I could have let her muddle along in her own sweet way. However it does rather go against the grain to leave such a load of bunkum on line for all to see - and copy!!

Perhaps if she comes back to me I can drip feed the right info to her gradually so it's not quite so disappointing for her! Or keep my fingers crossed that she doesn't notice that she has a message from me

Olde Crone · #5 22-02-15, 18:24

Well, I'd try to put her on the right path before she goes any further down the wrong path.

"I was interested to see that you have Mary Buggins married to Fred Bloggs as I have her married to Stan Smith and on their marriage cert her father is named as Erasmus Buggins. I'm now worried that my research is wrong, can you please let me have a copy of the Mary Buggins/Fred Bloggs marriage cert?"

This will flush out the fact that she doesn't have any documentary evidence of anything and will HOPEFULLY, pull her up short and make her consider doing it the right way (which she may not know about!). On the other hand, she may just continue on her merry way and there isn't much you can do about that, except make sure she doesn't connect her tre to yours!

OC

Merry · #6 22-02-15, 18:24

Is there one big mistake in the first couple of generations you could point out, not mentioning that everything that comes before (or should I say after?) will be automatically wrong? Then you could be pointing out just one error!!!

Sue from Southend · #7 22-02-15, 18:53

OC's method was the sort of thing I was considering. But where to start - she has all the right names of my great grandparents but none of the details are correct and the generations after that are pure fantasy.

And she has just replied to my message - thrilled to bits that I've contacted her!

Merry · #8 22-02-15, 19:03

Quote:

thrilled to bits that I've contacted her!

lol!!

Not for long!!

Merry · #9 22-02-15, 19:04

If she gets mad with you, you could always direct her here and let us play!

kiterunner · #10 22-02-15, 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merry

If she gets mad with you, you could always direct her here and let us play!

Just as long as you have this thread deleted first!