Dismiss a marriage when research shows one didn't happen

cindydh51.5039598684372686E12

Can we have the option to dismiss a marriage?

When the marriage options have been explored and there is no spouse it would be nice to be able to dismiss that suggestion and not have the empty line there to elicit research by someone who follows behind.

Paul W

This is a common request from users. However, Family Tree users are completely divided on the issue. While it would be good to have that option for some circumstances (person died as a child, for example) I, along with many other users, have never favoured it as a general option. Too many users would be inclined to utilise it where they had carried out a great deal of research and were then convinced their relative / ancestor never did marry. However, in many instances we just can't be 100% sure of this and should not discourage another user from undertaking their own research for an event that just might be extremely difficult to find.

karenannyoung1

An idea to catch the attention of a researcher, who might otherwise waste time looking for a nonexistent spouse, would be to put a line at the beginning of the Life Sketch to the effect that the person had never married. If you put it at the beginning, as long as the Life Sketch section is open, it will be seen even if the person does not click on “more”. You could also put it in the “Collaborate” section, but it is less likely to be seen there unless the person goes specifically looking for notes or discussions. These are not ideal solutions, but better than doing nothing at all until such time as FamilySearch comes up with a better idea.

Cindy Hecker

Under other Information, there is a fact that states No Couple Relationships. You can add this fact to your person as one option to let others know someone has looked because it also gives you the opportunity to add a reason statement.