Issues with missing "merged duplicate people"
I've been encountering this quite a lot while trying to add hints through Record Linking Lab. (I realize that they aren't part of FamilySearch, but the issues don't seem to be on their end.)
For example, I get a hint for NUMIDENT for Bartolo DeMarti. But when I go to the source linker, it says "Error Loading Family Tree Person." He WAS at GN96-4V7 …. so when I go to https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GN96-4V7 and look at the change log, it says that USCensusProject merged him with a duplicate. The only records that had been attached were the 1900 and 1910 census. One problem … it doesn't list the new ID for the duplicate person.
I did find Bartolo in the tree twice, at G6ZY-3XG and 9W1D-7HY … but neither person contains the records for the 1900 or 1910 census. And neither changelog indicates any past merges.
I've found at least a dozen records like this — there's a merge indicated, but no indication who the merged person is NOW, and the records that were formerly attached no longer are. (In contrast, here's a person who had multiple duplicates that I had to merge … you can clearly see who the surviving person is: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KG2X-WDQ )
Has anyone else encountered this?
Answers
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See:
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I don't see any mention of a merge (or of the 1900 census).
The changelog says he was deleted. And the reason given is "Duplicate Person". It appears that USCensusProject is the only user to have had any dealings with this profile so they were able to delete the profile.
Going to the 1910 census record, from the changelog, it is no longer attached to anyone.
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In the change log for Bartolo DeMarti GN96-4V7, you can see that he was created by USCensusProject. He was later deleted, not merged, by USCensusProject because he was a duplicate.
You could restore this person if you choose to by clicking on Restore Person on the right side of the black bar at the top. Since the person was deleted for being a duplicate, if you choose this option you'll want to decide if you need to merge him with another person.
Or- You can decide if either of the other Bartolo DeMarti's you found is the one you are looking for and attach the census records to that person. The link to the 1910 US Census record showing Bartolo DeMarti is in the changelog.
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I know how to resolve the issue … I'm just unsure why it is happening! Why delete a duplicate instead of merge, when there are already records attached?
We're having a discussion about it on the 1910 census thread now.
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I appreciate your raising this issue, as it confirms what happens to attached sources when a profile is deleted!
I often delete IDs I have created, but generallyy very quickly - usually, when I discover it was unnecessary to have created the profile, as one for the individual concerned was already on Family Tree. So, I don't think I have ever attached a source to a profile I had created, then deleted. In which case, I just decided to test what happened with a source after it being attached to a profile, which was subsequently deleted.
I believe the answer was reported on the other thread, but - to confirm - the source does become detached from the deleted profile, making it available to attach to the profile for which the deleted ID was a duplicate - or any other profile, of course.
There has been some debate in the past about whether to "merge" or "delete" in these, or similar, circumstances. My personal preference has always been to delete profiles I have created "in error" (e.g., when I have found an ID already exists for that person), but I can understand that some users would find it preferable to carry out a merge instead.
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I, too, generally delete the newer profile I've just created because the system didn't present an existing profile. I try to preserve earlier work whenever possible.
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