Merging people?
I'm new to FamilySearch and don't want to mess anything up. When I put in my information I immediate connected to family trees. However, there is a dead end at Sarah Jane Campbell (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LWKH-G3K). Using the information I already have (from my mother's previous research), I found Sarah Campbell (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/G9PB-4TR). I'm sure they're the same person, but, again, I'm not comfortable changing anything of this magnitude. Is there any way to connect with other people (with more experience) who know these people?
Answers
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@Christina62064 Welcome to FamilySearch!
When I'm not quite certain of a merge or if I have gone down a rabbit hole and don't have time at the moment to research further, I put a Note in the Collaborate tab for each profile - Stating either "Possible" or "Probable" duplicate along with the other Profile ID number.
This provides an alert for others who may have more information or time. Unfortunately, it also provides an alert for users who are less diligent and are prone to making assumptions, deciding "close enough".
To promptly detect changes made by others, I recommend:- Follow every profile of interest to you.
- View your Following list every time you log onto FamilySearch.
Usually I find myself viewing those profiles a few weeks later - by then I may have discovered more information to give me the confidence to perform the merge.1 -
@Christina62064
Regarding your specific question: "Is there any way to connect with other people (with more experience) who know these people?"You could send a Chat to the other people who have worked on the profiles in question to ask for their opinions. However, being more "experienced" doesn’t necessarily mean they more knowledgeable or more competent than you.
Don’t bother trying to contact any username which contains the word “Project” or “Helper”. They are not family members and they don't answer Chats. The former are usually automated computer scripts and the latter are usually volunteers.
I would start with someone who has worked on multiple profiles within the family and/or someone who has been online in the past year.
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"Using the information I already have (from my mother's previous research), I found Sarah Campbell"
Does this information indicate that her parents are Duncan Campbell and Mary Kate Shelly? Are there sources? If so, I would say you are good to merge these two profiles.
If you don't have a source yet - try Ancestry and see if anyone has proof over there. Here's a profile with her and the same parents https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/90880024/person/78020081837/facts
None of the marriage records in her FamilySearch sources name parents :(
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To clarify, “Proof” on Ancestry would entail finding a source or record.
It does not mean finding a tree with the relationships and names you are seeking to verify.
Genealogy without proper citation is often fabrication.
e.g. For my one side of my family, almost all trees on Ancestry contain serious, egregious flaws; many of which have spilled over to FamilySearch. Most people who create trees on Ancestry copy off of others. In this case dozens of people copied someone who has not done their due diligence and valued quantity far more than quality.
For anyone who does not have a paid Ancestry account (which is required to view the link above):
STEP 1:
— AncestryLibrary is available for free inside most public libraries either via their computers or connecting to their wi-fi with your device (the latter of which leaves a cookie).
— AncestryInstitution is available for free inside all FamilySearch centers.
STEP 2:
For the link above, add either “library” or “institution” (whichever is applicable) between “ancestry” and “.com” , e.g.:
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/90880024/person/78020081837/facts
(thanks again @Áine.ní.Donnghaile for pointing this out)2
