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MythicalMarian
15-08-2009, 4:39 PM
I am flabbergasted - you'd think I'd be unshockable after 25 years, but things can still make my mouth drop open!

Having been on the old Alchemy today to upload new research to my private tree, I was given one of those horrendous shaking leaves against one of my Pigot men - this one John Tayleur Pigot (1821-1912). As plain as day, this chap can be found very easily by tracking him through censues, BMDs for kids and marriage etc. etc. Not to bore you, he was a vicar, ending up at the parish of Fremington in Devon. His name is also quite distinct with the odd spelling of Tayleur (which endures to the present in that family). His wife's name is even more distinct - Hester Sarah Wemyss, and he married her in 1847 at Cheetham Hill, St. Luke (Lancashire BMDs - and all censuses, including birth of kiddies and Wemyss rellies staying with 'em on censuses - you know the drill).

Well, this shaking leaf directed me to a tree that had in it 'John Piggott' who was born in Staffordshire (mine was born in St. Helens, Lancs) who had a totally different set of kiddies, and married 'Hester Sarah Wemyss' - no source given.

I ask you! It's getting ridiculous now. Don't these people check censuses and BMDs? Where do they get their info from? The person whose tree this Hester Sarah is in has attached census records for a totally different John Piggott (not Pigot) and he seems to have dropped his Tayleur! This is so sad, because John Tayleur Pigot can still be found on the 1911 and only died in 1912, aged 91 years in Devon.

It doesn't bother me as far as Hester Sarah goes, because she isn't blood, she's only a spouse who married in, but I wonder how many other relatives of this John Piggott are going to have Hester Sarah Wemyss in their tree due to the poor research of the person who has put her in their tree. I should think it would matter a great deal to the Wemyss people who are going to end up with totally duff info.

It takes a lot of work and time to painstakingly update folk into Alchemy, adding genuine sources as we go along - I'm sure we've all done it - and I just wonder whether some people can't even be bothered to check their data. And we see these mistakes duplicated again and again across trees online - I know we've covered it countless times on the Forum, but each new atrocity makes my blood boil.

I'm only mentioning all this because Hester Sarah Wemyss - as I'm sure you'll agree - is not the most common name you'll find, so that people searching for her will believe they have made a real discovery, only to be disappointed.

Rant over - I'll get back to sourcing my lads and lassies like a good genealogist :D and sod the rest of 'em.
aland
15-08-2009, 5:40 PM
Like you say MythicalMarian, it keeps cropping up on the forum and people do get a bit hot under the collar because others are too lazy to check these things out.
Be assured by the fact that you know your tree is right and has been researched correctly and leave the rest to the number collectors, |hug|



I'll get back to sourcing my lads and lassies like a good genealogist :D and sod the rest of 'em.

Your quote just about sums it up! :D
v.wells
15-08-2009, 6:11 PM
I had whittled my "people with hints" down to 2, when ancesspot updated the bmd's and added other stuff. Now I have shaking leaves everywhere. I don't mind the bmd sources but I have noticed a couple of trees with the same information that someone copied from my tree and he has since passed on quite a bit of misinformation. I don't bother to correct them unless they are in my direct line. They are name gatherers and don't care and will argue that they have proof (which they don't since I have it).

I do NOT open my tree even, to family members. It is my working tree with all my sources listed (bmd's and census), - my church records ect are all listed on Tribal pages site and I have no sources on genes and, again, do not open my tree to anyone there unless they can support the information they have and will trade it.

I've had people demand I open my tree to them. My response is No and Why?
BeeE586
15-08-2009, 6:25 PM
Marian - Do you have any connection with a PIGOT line in Nottinghamshire ? Variations include PIGGOTT PYGOT PYGOTT PYGUT to name but some. My lot are found in the Blyth area - associated names BARTHROP (var), FENTON ROBINSON.

Eileen
SeaCopRimmer
15-08-2009, 6:36 PM
Was interested in the Tayleur bit - just done some research for somebody who has this name in his tree; I shall contact him and let him know there is someone out there with a possible link into his family;)
MythicalMarian
15-08-2009, 6:55 PM
Marian - Do you have any connection with a PIGOT line in Nottinghamshire ? Variations include PIGGOTT PYGOT PYGOTT PYGUT to name but some. My lot are found in the Blyth area - associated names BARTHROP (var), FENTON ROBINSON.

Eileen

Short answer, Eileen - nope. Will let you know if there are any Notts connections uncovered, but it seems unlikely so far. And I know it's odd - we're all veterans, so we know about spellings - but we have no variations in the spelling of Pigot. That may be just good luck, of course.


Was interested in the Tayleur bit - just done some research for somebody who has this name in his tree; I shall contact him and let him know there is someone out there with a possible link into his family;)

It is an odd spelling, which does help to distinguish it. Tell your friend that this family too is very clerical - lots of vicars!
Geoffers
15-08-2009, 8:55 PM
Don't these people check censuses and BMDs?

Probably not


Where do they get their info from?

At a guess, either

a) Downloaded a gedom file sent from someone else and accepted it at face value


b) Crystal ball

(Neither are reliable)



It takes a lot of work and time to painstakingly update folk into Alchemy - I'm sure we've all done it

Nope


And we see these mistakes duplicated again and again across trees online

To the point where fiction becomes generally accepted as fact. Such joke genealogies do us all a dis-service


I know we've covered it countless times on the Forum, but each new atrocity makes my blood boil.

Try head-banging, a joy for life |banghead| and a release from stress


Rant over - I'll get back to sourcing my lads and lassies like a good genealogist.

At least you can let of steam here, amongst friends.

Fare yer well tergether
DBCoup
15-08-2009, 9:57 PM
unless they can support the information they have and will trade it.
The only sane approach. I am only too happy to share with people if they reciprocate.

I've had people demand I open my tree to them. My response is No and Why?
Good on you. After all they could always do the ground work for themselves. It's not as if all your information was handed to you on a plate, and even if it was I would bet that, like me, you would verify every last bit of it.
v.wells
15-08-2009, 10:30 PM
Sometimes, when they have the wrong information I will tell them where to look eg: freebmd, freecen, fmp for passenger lists and B-G of course! I will even go so far as to find the information and pass it on. Usually they love that and realize that sourcing is everything!
MythicalMarian
15-08-2009, 11:13 PM
I do NOT open my tree even, to family members.


I've learned this too, Vanessa. A perfectly lovely bona fide cousin of my Stokes side doesn't have her tree as private so all sorts goes out there. Also, and for the life of me I will NEVER understand it, she has taken all my Mum's ancestry and put it in her tree. Now, the ancestry of Vera Turner for Stokes folks is of no interest unless they are descended from me, or my two elder sisters. I just don't understand why they do this. Mum was Vera Turner - totally separate line. Dad was John Stokes - totally separate line. Ah well...