How do I remove names in my tree that are incorrect?

TishCates

On my family tree other people have added information that is incorrect, and the delete tool will not allow me to delete the people/names that are wrong - HELP. This is very frustrating.

Brett .

@TishCates

FYI

Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.

I am juts another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

Short Answer: One DOES NOT "Delete" incorrect individuals/persons, one SIMPLE "Detaches" them.

Basically, one "Detaches" (or, disassociates) the incorrect individuals/persons from the one's "Ancestral" Lines (ie. from the particular, "Couple"; and/or. "Parent-Child", Relationships).

Here are some "Knowledge Articles" in 'FamilySearch':

Couples

A person in Family Tree has the wrong spouse

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-correct-parent-child-relationships-in-family-tree

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-correct-parent-child-relationships-in-family-tree

Children

How do I correct parent-child relationships in Family Tree?

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-correct-parent-child-relationships-in-family-tree

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-correct-parent-child-relationships-in-family-tree

I hope this helps.

Brett

Julia Szent-Györgyi

tl;dr: for Brett's response: you can't delete people in Family Tree, but you can delete relationships.

(Well, technically, profiles can sometimes be deleted, but it's under very limited circumstances: only the person who created the profile has the option, and only if nobody else has ever edited it.)

To reduce the chance of the errors being re-introduced, it's a good idea to contact the person who attached this wrong family to yours, using FS's in-house message system. (Find one of the person's changes, click on his/her name, and choose "Send a message".) Politely inquire about why this person thinks that his/her family belongs with yours, and point out the reasons that it doesn't.

bathompson

Hello @TishCates,

Here is some information on how you can try working with others to decrease errors in the tree:

Collaboration tools in Family Tree

• You can follow up to 4,000 records that interest you, and FamilySearch will send you a system notification whenever someone updates one of them. The follow option is located on your ancestor’s Person page, in the top banner containing his or her name.
• In the Latest Changes column you see a summary of the most recent changes to a deceased person's record. The Latest Changes column is located on the Person page, on the far-right side of the screen.
• Sources enable users to trust the information they see. To access Sources, go to an ancestor’s Person page. Near the top of the screen, you’ll see a button labeled Sources.
• A reason statement quickly explains a change or contribution to an ancestor’s record. You’ll see fields for entering reason statements wherever you add information—and on the Person page in the Latest Changes box.
• The life sketch provides a quick synopsis of an ancestor's life. This helps users quickly identify whether or not the ancestor mentioned on screen is the same as the one they are searching for. The life sketch is located on the person page, directly below the ancestor’s name.
• The discussion tool allows you to start a conversation about a shared ancestor. The conversation will be visible to everyone who visits your ancestor's Person page and clicks on Collaboration.
• Use Notes to record insights, conclusions, or questions that don't seem to fit anywhere else. Notes are located on the Collaboration tab.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-can-i-prevent-other-people-from-making-inaccurate-changes-to-family-tree

I like putting a brief comment in the Life Sketch because it is visible on the Person Page without having to click elsewhere to see it.

Here is the link to the knowledge article on how to message other users of FamilySearch as referenced by @Julia Szent-Györgyi:

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-send-a-message-to-a-recent-contact-in-familysearch-messaging

Best Wishes!