Incorrect merges and changes to my Tree

PhilippaGill

Hello

I have just noticed that a number of other users have made some significant changes to people in my FamilyTree which has deleted my entire historical branch from 1300 to 1805.

I can see all the changes in the log but am not sure how to correct it and get my own tree connections back.

Is someone able to reach out and help, it has taken me years to complete this and I am rather upset!

Thank you

PhilippaGill

I have now found my old relative under ID K2KF-TD3 but cannot restore him. Is this possible now, or do I need to recreate him?

The other users have liked spouses and children in - also incorrectly - to their new William Gill ID L87F-Q51

Sigh.

DebDT

Just making sure. Did you click on the restore person at the right of your ancestor's person page? We would also suggest that you contact the other contributor. They might be able to take care of it on their end. Plus you want to make sure that the other person knows that you have a relationship to that ancestor and he should not be merged or deleted. Hope this helps.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-send-a-message-to-a-recent-contact-in-familysearch-messaging

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-undo-a-merge-in-family-tree

Sanra

@PhilippaGill

In regards to the issue of incorrect merges and changes to your tree and restoring the record. We looked up the old record for William Gill, K2KF-TD3, clicked on “Person” on his card, rather than his name, which brought up a new screen that says Person Deleted, but has “Restore Person” in blue, on the lower right.

Use the article link below for more information.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-restore-a-deleted-record-for-a-person-in-family-tree

We hope this helps get the branch of you family back.

dontiknowyou

@PhilippaGill your William Gill is not the only casualty. William Gill L87F-Q51 is a conflation of at least 4 different men.

The first thing I would do is reach out the recent contributors on all the other pages merged into L87F-Q51. The root cause usually is some conflation in one of the merged-in profiles. So, look at all the families those other William Gills belong to. Closely examine the attached historical records and weed out those that do not belong. You all likely have mixed up records.

Then, once the families are sorted, reach out to the contributor who has been merging. Possibly this person is just following hints, which are now more and more wrong, so be gentle. To be clear, fix the William Gill pages last.

PhilippaGill

Thank you all for the swift responses.

I have contacted the other users and informed them, as they have linked their new merged people all over the place too.

To keep things clean for now, I have created a new William GILL (sorry) under G83C-57Z and reconnected a new wife to him. This has allowed me to restore my connections through the right parents via G83C-57Z and the link is now re-made all the way back to 1560. Phew.

It took me a LONG time to weed through the hundreds of Gills in this area, many with the same name as was traditional. It does not surprise me that incorrect connections have been made but, to echo former comments, the ability to LOCK records, or at least contact another user in order to make a change, would be a great addition to the tool.

I did originally have all the associated extended family linked as well and will slowly pick through them again now. However, the new merged records mean that they come with extended, incorrect attachments (like additional spouses and children) that I do not want to drag over with them.

Knowledge of the area at the time is also critical, as you know. My family has a clear 'industrial revolution' story through it and simply merging someone born in Keighley to someone across the country and 5 years apart is, well....

Thanks again.

Philippa

dontiknowyou

One thing I do, that seems to help, is add a Note with a title like "Caution, many similar persons" then a list of them all. I cut and paste the page titles. And I paste the same list on all the affected PIDs.

This is best done at the end of a community repair job, so the caution note is current.

bathompson

Hello @PhilippaGill,

You can also put information into the Life Sketch on the Person Page of your ancestor to alert others who may want to merge your ancestor incorrectly.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-is-included-on-the-person-page-in-family-tree?articleVariant=public

Best Wishes!

PhilippaGill

More great tips, thanks all!

dontiknowyou

Another tip for when there are many persons with the same name at the same time in the same place (here, Yorkshire): do them all.