How to delete an ancestor from my tree?

DarrenTracy1

How do I delete an ancestor from my tree? I have duplicate ancestors. I would like to delete the one in my current tree because it does not have as much information as the duplicate ancestor I would like to replace it with.

There is conflicting information about the ancestors, but I am 99.9 % certain they are the same person. I don't want to merge, because that removes once ancestor and the work someone put into that (which is actually correct info).

Wayland K Adams

Hi Darren Thanks for visiting Family Search Community and posting your question here. Yes, you can delete the one ancestor and replace with another but that is not the best course of action. If the two records are really for the same person, then they should be merged. Merging is not choosing one record over another but merging the records and retaining the most accurate information from either record. Here are some links for either action.

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

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/a-person-in-family-tree-has-the-wrong-spouse

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-merge-possible-duplicates-in-family-tree

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-merge-duplicates-in-family-tree-by-id

Let us know if you have further questions or comments.

Gordon Collett

To maybe make you feel better about merging, you should message that other user who worked on the other record that your are 99.9% certain is the same person. Get confirmation and agreement from that user that you should do the merge. After merging, all the work that other person did should still be on the record, including all the sources that you did not have. Not only that, if the two of you are researching different lines away from that person, after the merge all those lines will come together properly and you won't have to duplicate each other's work.

The goal with Family Tree is to have only one record for each person, without any duplicates, so that all the information anyone has ever found about that person is unified in one spot.

WandraE

My family tree has magically given an ancestor whom I know is not the father of my ancestor. How do I delete that person & his descendants from my family tree?

Wayland K Adams

Hi The way to remove incorrect people from your tree is by editing the relationship(s) that tie them to your tree. And there are only two types of relationships, parent/child and couple. We don't have enough information to see your tree but from what you are saying it would seem the you have an ancestor who has a parent/child relationship with a wrong father. If that is the case, go to the person page for your ancestor, scroll down on the details tab to the family members section. On the right side of the page, you should find where your ancestor is shown as the child of an incorrect father. Click the edit icon (little box with pencil) to the right of your ancestor where he is shown with the wrong father. Click remove or replace by your ancestor and complete the process. Here are the links to the more detailed instructions if needed.

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

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/a-person-in-family-tree-has-the-wrong-spouse

let us know if you have further questions or comments

Shirley Lipinski

Thank you , I will try your suggestions.