Shakespeare’s The Tempest shares this idea “What’s Past is Prologue” and it simply means that today is built on the foundation of yesterday. I had no idea until I went to write this blog that it is engraved on the National Archives building in Washington, DC, and I have been there several times! To the genealogist or family history researcher, this quote is the very core of why they do what they do.
But I want to emphasize that “getting it right” needs to be in the forefront of all good digging. We have all sorts of excellent websites, databases, articles, newsletters, etc. to provide those tantalizing details that fill a hole in a family tree that has been nagging us. If we don’t get it right, it could start a cascade of misinformation for others, and sometimes it comes back to bite us full-circle.
Making a Problem Worse
Recently I was contacted by one of my online partners, Kate, whom I have collaborated with on our common family tree. She had what seemed to be a breakthrough for me in a brick wall I have had for decades on a main tree in my research. Kate knew someone (I will call Debbie) who might be related and knew more that I could add to my tree. I was elated! I started reviewing my tree and looking at the possibilities for what this new person could share. Where did she fit in? This was a tree where we thought nearly all descendants were mapped, and where my nephew is what we believe to be the LAST remaining male descendant of this line. I honestly couldn’t sleep.
However, when I found Debbie’s tree ahead of her contact, I realized we were not connected, and it stemmed from an error I had made several years ago, so I have only myself to blame. A while ago, I had posted an educated guess on a maiden name for one of my ancestors. The name was Ring. It seemed a very likely possibility, and my hunches in the past had been pretty spot on. I went ahead and posted it on Ancestry.com then I left it alone for a while. The next time I went online, several other trees had sprung up that were tied to my tree because of this Ring surname. Again, I was eager to make these new connections. But when I looked at their trees, none were a hit and many were conjecture based on the original Ring I posted. I immediately removed Ring from my tree, satisfied I had helped the community.
RINGING in My Ears
Now, years later, as I look more closely, I see that that darn Ring name is STILL lingering in trees on Ancestry.com. This is not throwing Ancestry.com under the bus; this was MY error. They are the platform and not the gatekeepers. What I hope to instill is a caution to those who either have posted information in their trees and to those who gather information from the trees of others. Try to document sources wherever possible. Many trees have their documentation posted which you can collect. Just because the information is on a website, don’t accept it as completely accurate. What’s worse is then sharing inaccurate information with others. Contact the tree owners if you have more questions. Set the record straight with those who may have errors but do it gently and politely; be sure you have the evidence to show them for corrections. This is a very congenial and generous community. Do your own research for the documentation…that’s half the fun.
Good luck! And to Ring family members…my apologies. Perhaps I will find that vital connection to my tree one day!
Let’s get some tips together to help everyone. Would like to hear about similar experiences without too much finger-pointing…share here!
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