Adding family members to tree, and missing index numbers
I have two related questions, and apologies as these are likely answered in some basic documentation that I have yet to come across:
- I am creating a family tree, and have added my grandfather, who has an ID number in FamilySearch. When I try adding my grandmother as his spouse (through searching for her based on dates, etc.), her name does not come up, and it gives me the option to add her manually. However, she is covered in several records in FamilySearch, so I am not clear why she is not being suggested when I search based on specific, accurate information.
- When I do find my grandmother in various records in FamilySearch, there does not seem to be an ID number associated with her. How does an individual get assigned an ID number? I am hesitant to add her manually to my family tree (if that then creates an ID number), as that may then imply (at least to me) that she has no other records in FamilySearch, which is not the case.
Best Answer
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1. Records (supporting documentation) and Person IDs (PID) in Family Tree are separate. Every person added to/created in Family Tree is assigned a PID (format of letters and numbers: xXxX-xxx). It would seem to make sense that if records exist a corresponding PID would be created in Family Tree by FamilySearch - but this is not how FamilySearch has implemented Family Tree. There might be an existing representation (PID) for your grandmother - but if you cannot find her in Family Tree (under maiden/married name) - it is ok to go ahead and create a 'duplicate' and then merge them at a later point. It is possible she has not been added into the Tree yet.
2. FamilySearch does wait for someone (a relation) to create the person and attach the records. There are several ways to do this - it sounds like you have found at least one method of this process (you can add her directly as a spouse to your grandfather - usually female maiden names are used as Surname/last name when adding person into the Family Tree). Once you create a person (PID) to represent your grandmother - then you can attach the records documenting/supporting her vital/life events.
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Answers
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Can someone explain how ID letters and numbers are assigned? I see that most of my family members have the same first four (4), then I come across another person in my tree with a totally different combination. I think it would be easier to know who is in your family when the letters and numbers are the same.
Can someone email me with an explanation?
Arlene Schroeder-Miles
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ID numbers are just random and have no intrinsic meaning. I don’t know how they are assigned but would assume that it is just the next available number. Their purpose is only to give a unique identity to each profile created that is maintained through anything that occurs to that record including merges. You cannot use them to draw any conclusion about any kind of connection between any two records.
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