Dodgy Data on the IGI !!

[lee58]

|book|Is there any means of notifying either the submitter or "Family Search" that some family data submitted by one of their members is incorrect?
Both the birth certificates and the census indicate the submitter has recorded children from two unrelated families as being from the same parents.

Is it common to find incorrect submissions on the IGI?
Thanks Lee58

[Jan1954]

Is it common to find incorrect submissions on the IGI?
Thanks Lee58

Oh yes.

Never trust a member submitted entry on the IGI. To be fair, some may be perfectly correct - the submitter may have researched thoroughly and have details of their sources. However, you are relying on hearsay, and we all know how accurate that can be...

Also, remember that transcribed entries from parish records can also have mistakes. Anything that is transcribed is open to human error and that is why the International Genealogical Index should just be used as it says - as an index.

I have found a several great transcribed as "Carter", when his name was "Peter". It was only through seeing the original parish records that I was able to confirm this.

[Guy Etchells]

First are you sure the information is from the IGI and not one of the other Familysearch databases?

If it is IGI information then in 99% of cases it cannot be changed as it will be correct information.

One must remember that correct information when dealing with the IGI is the information submitted for the temple ordinance.
If that information tallies with the information on the IGI then the IGI is correct.

This is because the IGI only indexes the information submitted for temple ordinances, it does not index parish registers.
Some people find this hard to understand.
Cheers
Guy

[lee58]

Yes, quite sure its the IGI.
Message at bottom says: Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church.
No additional info available.
No source Info available.

Surely there is someone that can be contacted so I can produce documented evidence to show the entry is incorrect|bowdown|
Lee58

[v.wells]

The LDS Mormon Records Vault is deep underground under a mountain in Utah. I doubt they accept mail out there. :D You could perhaps submit it to your local LDS chapter.

[Procat]

Yes, quite sure its the IGI.
Message at bottom says: Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church.
No additional info available.
No source Info available.

Surely there is someone that can be contacted so I can produce documented evidence to show the entry is incorrect|bowdown|
Lee58

Once uploaded the information cannot be changed.

See this from the Family Search web site:

Q. Can I make changes to a record in the International Genealogical Index record if I can prove it is in error?
A. No. The International Genealogical Index contains information as it appeared on the original record or in a submission. It cannot be changed. An alternative to correcting the information is to submit the accurate information to Pedigree Resource File by visiting www.familysearch.org and using the Share option.

[Guy Etchells]

[quote=lee58;167977]

please delete
Guy

[Guy Etchells]

Yes, quite sure its the IGI.
Message at bottom says: Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church.
No additional info available.
No source Info available.

Surely there is someone that can be contacted so I can produce documented evidence to show the entry is incorrect|bowdown|
Lee58

I do not understand how you have documented evidence the entry is incorrect.

You seem to mis-understand what the IGI is.

The LDS Church carries out Temple Ordinances (Baptism, Endowment and Sealing). The IGI indexes those ordinances.

For Example: Here is an entry from the 1992 update of the IGI. It shows this information in the following order-
Surname - Christian Name - Father's / Mother's Names - whether male M, female F, or relative R - Type - Event Date - Town, Parish - - then it shows the dates of ordinances & the source. – B (baptism – E (endowment) – S (sealing) – Source (two columns).

Berry – Daniell – Willm. Berry/Sarah – M – C – 12Nov1671 – Taddington – 31Jan1974OG – 15Mar1974OG – 26Jan1974OG – 7323505 - 78

The blue columns are simply identifying the details given at the ordinances (red columns). They only record what was “said” on that specific date in 1974 nothing else.

Think of it as a transcript of a court case. If a witness stands up in court and says John Smith was on the road at on the 24 March 1640 the minutes of that court case will record the details the witness gives.
If someone else read those minutes and went to the court with a photograph showing that John Smith was swimming in a swimming pool on the 24 March 1640 the original court minutes would not be altered because they record what happened in court at that particular hearing.
Cheers
Guy

[Guy Etchells]

PS The temple code OG is Ogden, Utah.
Cheers
Guy

[lee58]

Thank-you Guy for that explanation, however am I not correct in assuming, according to your court analogy, a person could be convicted on incorrect info given by a witness.
However, if evidence is provided that the witness information is incorrect or unreliable it can be refuted and the new accurate information included in the court records.

This is what I would like to do. If original data cannot be changed then surely he LDS must have some means of updating or adding a transcript to that original data? I guess however you would need to be a church member to contribute!!

This has certainly made me more aware of family searchwebsite and the type of info it offers.
Lee58

[Guy Etchells]

Unfortunately yes, that is why one often sees "duplicated" entries on the IGI.
Anyone can contribute the data not just members of the Church.

Cheers
Yes

[apehangmom]

Now hey I have seen a mistake on my family in the IGI records. I attributed it to a family member submission mistake .. But I have an error I found.. But I found that there was 2 entries , and one that was not correct. I just knew it was a mistake... ) but I guess the question is .. how do you let everyone know you have found evidence that proves that some thing is incorrect in the records? How do you let future family know that you found some thing that makes a fact differ.. I have tried to find all my distant family and do the genealogy thing.. and spread the word,, and explain the issue.. Yeah you may not be able to chage the IGI records.. But you can tell your family and prevent the error from spreading.. and who knows you may find missing information from a family member. thanks chris.

[ET in the USA]

To Lee58 & others who wish to 'right the incorrect information' - I feel your pain !

I actually purchased a CD with incorrect information. The CD showed that Henry, born c. 1756 was married to Anne. I have accurate information, based on actually looking at the gravestones and parish records that says Henry died at age 2+ and that the Henry who married Anne was born c. 1755 & was the son of another couple entirely.
Bottom line, Anne is 'sealed forever' to a 2 year old who had been dead for 32 years at the time of their marriage.
I was able to email the submitter directly & he frankly didn't give a rip. He had paid a 'professional' to do the research using the films available in Salt Lake, he had submitted the required information in the required format & he was now off to China to teach English.

I felt royally ripped off & disappointed that anyone cared so little for the accuracy of their ancestral tree.

My philosophy now is to not lose sleep over idiots who use my hobby & passion only as a stepping stone to bigger & better things because they probably cheated on tests & didn't really learn anything at school either. |moon|

[Guy Etchells]

I suppose I should repeat my earlier warning.

Never take anything you read for granted, always try to find other sources to back up your evidence, even if it is written in stone it may not be correct.
Tombstone, Holy Trinity Church, Ossett, W. Yorkshire. -

In memory
of
Daniel Overend,
of Ossett Street Side,
who DIED December 30th 1864,
aged 27 years.
Grieve not dear wife but be content,
For unto thee I was but lent,
My time is over, my glass is run,
Therefore to me prepare to come.
Also Martha, wife of Richard Codley,
of Dewbury,
who died February 31st 1898,
aged 61 years.
Also of Dan Craven,
who died April 9th 1913,
aged 67 years.
"Peace perfect peace."

Cheers
Guy

[lee58]

Thank-you to everyone for your comments, support and advise regarding IGI.
Genealogically, I still think it disappointing that such a large resource doesnt see the need to question/update/modify/change data it holds irrespective of how or why the original data was obtained.
A timely lesson for me to ensure all my family history data is accurate.
From a very wet Gisborne NZ|wave|
Lee

[apehangmom]

You know things have changed so much in the past 10 years, when it comes to geneaology and how the records are stored. There is so many more people logging on than 10 years ago. WHich has made it so much easier for all of us to log on and find Aunt Millies family tree... I think that we need to try in our families to alert our famlies who are interested that they may run into mistakes.. But most people start out like we all did.. reading the newbie stuff and researching... Our decendants will probably have an ammendment site where people list ammends to records. ( hey that is a idea for a web site. ) So many things change ... But I think that at some point after a few years that there may be a spot that you can put *next to your entry and denote a possible change to the record.. But look at how genealogy has changed ... over the years. thanks chris