Why do some Family Search people records have no source record attached?
Run into Family Search people records with no source records attached but with detailed dates. For example Sarah Schofield or Scholefield. Person MRLB-YHF has a source christening & MRLB-Y4T has no source but detailed timeline. Both records appear to be setup buy "FamilySearch". I believe they are the same person but hard to evaluate with no source record. I would appreciate some understanding how this could happen?
Answers
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I dont have all the answers to your questions
but keep in mind FS has different areas/sections and different types of records in those areas.
the FamilySearch Family Tree (FS FT) is a database mainly created by submissions from users - though there are other sources. The sources in this area for a specific fact may or may not be clear.
FS also has a separate area where it has indexes and data/images from primary sources. In this primary source area I do find the reference to the christening record of Sarah Schofield:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBDK-3M5
also note when it gives "FamilySearch" as the user who submitted the info - that is not a "real user" but a system account that FS often uses for things they do on their end. Real people that have made changes to FS (since Family Search has gone live on the web) would have real and unique user names.
However the FS database has existed in some form or another for many decades (probably nearly a hundred years now) as FS used legacy data to create its initial database for the web based FS - it went through a period where many records were created/updated by this "system user account" which makes it a little confusing as to what the real source was. more recent updates will have real user id's.
HOWEVER - you also got to keep in mind - if you havent already discovered.
FS Family Tree - does not force a user to enter their sources - though it is highly recommended.
also to look for other PRIMARY source records use this interface
(which is different than the interface for finding people in FS FT - a disjoint part of the system)
https://www.familysearch.org/search/
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Thanks excellent video
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Thanks Dennis that changes my perspective which helps a lot. I suspected the Source index and People records were separate. My thinking was the user FS was created by a computer algorithm but I could not understand why a people record was created without a source by an algorithm. So my next thought was the source record was removed when a later index record of the primary replaced it. Your suggestion, the people record started out without a source, gives a person pause! What was the FS user looking at to create the person record with a specific details?
Person MRLB-Y4T Sarah Schofield, Christened 27 May 1753 Birstall, York, No source
Person MRLB-YHF Sarah Scholefield, Christened 24 AUG 1754 Birstall, York w/source
Both records attached to a father John Scholefield but different IDs although the first Sarah has and extensive family tree.
My thinking these Sarah records are the same person. I can rationalize away the surname difference but the specific christening date I cannot. This is not the first time I have run into this problem.
My family history search found a spouse Mary Scholefield MVC9-D4S born to a John in 1757, Birstall which fit nicely in to the family birth pattern of the tree with Sarah MRLB-Y4T in it. All was good until I ran into the above problem with Sarah.
Now I do not know if joining this tree was correct or start a new one. Suggestion?
Should I merge the Sarah records?
Thanks
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I havent looked at this closely
but you should always consider the possibility of infant mortality and the common practice of subsequent children given the same name as a previously deceased sibling.
(this is Dennis Yancey - logged in under an alternate user id)
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Something that is common and shows up in both of the examples given is that in 2012 (and some updates a year or two later), the entire NewFamilySearch database was copied over to the FamilySearch database that we are using today. For each entry in the old nFS database, a new one was created in the FS database. All of this activity was done from the "FamilySearch" accounts. If I remember correctly the nFS database did not have much in the line of sources to start with.
Also, none of the change history of those records came across. So if you see a record where in its change history log shows it as being created in 2012, it could easily have been in the system for 20 or 30 years prior to that. But if you see a record created in 2016 by a non FamilySearch account, that will be the true creation date for that record.
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