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Is there a limit on how far back I can Enter Family records ?

John2296
John2296 ✭
August 30 edited September 2 in Family Tree

Is there a limit on how far back I can Enter Family records ?

0

Answers

  • Lawanna--
    Lawanna-- ✭✭✭
    August 31

    How far back are we talking? If you have records and can prove relationships and dates, go for it.

    0
  • John2296
    John2296 ✭
    August 31

    Back to about 700 AD

    0
  • Adrian Bruce1
    Adrian Bruce1 ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 31

    @John2296 - the warning I would give you, is that the vast majority of European records that go that far back (so note my assumption of where we're talking about) are based around royal or nearly royal families. As such, unless you choose a really obscure dynasty, there's every chance that the data is already in FamilySearch FamilyTree. Because we don't have our own tree, we shouldn't be entering Charlemagne or whoever again, rather we should be connecting our family to the gateway family that is already in FSFT that goes back to Charlemagne.

    If you already understand this, then fine, I apologise for stating the obvious.

    Another statement of the obvious, perhaps, is not to trust other people's views of who begat who and when. My own surname is a case in point - nobody actually knows where the non-Royal Bruce line comes from. Its progenitor is described as a "cousin" of King David II, son of Robert the Bruce, but there are several brothers for Robert and no real evidence that "cousin" means first cousin anyway. And that's only the early 1300s.

    But good luck with your research...

    7
  • Gordon Collett
    Gordon Collett ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 31

    To very literally answer your question, I just tested date entry and the earliest date Family Tree will allow to be entered as a standardized date is 1 January 10,000 BC.

    If your question is how far back you should enter information, you will likely find this presentation of interest:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJPjD0pFpPs

    You may also want to track down a copy of Pitfalls in Genealogical Research by Milton Rubincam and study in particular Chapter 12 that discusses false pedigrees. Apparently there were a lot of these sold to unwary clients by less then reputable "genealogists" in the past and many of these are still circulating. You don't want to add one of these to Family Tree even if it has been handed down through your family as authentic.

    6
  • Áine Ní Donnghaile
    Áine Ní Donnghaile ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 31

    In particular, look up the "work" of Gustav Anjou.

    3
  • John2296
    John2296 ✭
    September 1
    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/606379#Comment_606379

    You are correct that there some Aristocracy involved. There is a tree in existence that goes back to 1600's but I'd like to take it further. There was a treatise submitted to the Duke of Edenborough regarding the family links, so it's pretty solid info.

    0
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