Tempted by the fruit of another('s research)

[Jonesy]

I'm researching my great great-grandfather, Henry Harris.

On the 1881 census (RG11/piece 647/folio 133/page 18), he's living in Battersea with his wife Alice, and 3 year old daughter Lily. Further children, including my great grandfather Charles, are yet to be born (who appear later in the 1891 census).

Henry is a stone mason and they are lodging with another family, and I'm guessing they've moved from their native Odcombe, Somerset (where both Henry, Alice and daughter Lily were born) for work reasons? The head of the house is also a stone mason.

A quick search on FreeBMD uncovers a likely looking marriage; Qtr Apr-Jun 1876, a Henry Harris marries an Alice Trask in the Yeovil district. About right just before Lily's birth.

So, in googling "Henry Harris" and Odcombe, I come accross an increidbly detailed family tree on RootsWeb, featuring not only Henry and Alice, but also great grandfather Charles, as well as Trasks going back to as early as 1660. http:
//wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=carol_leatham&id=I33738

There are plenty of citations, includng census and references.

Should I start using this information in my own tree, or simply use it as a basis for some confirmations of my own (in the form of BMD certificates and census checks?)

[Jan1954]

Should I start using this information in my own tree, or simply use it as a basis for some confirmations of my own (in the form of BMD certificates and census checks?)

This. The bold bit.

[Megan Roberts]

You could also look and see if you can contact the owner of the tree on Rootsweb, and then conversation with them test the veracity and accuracy of the tree.

[Pam Downes]

I'm with Jan and her bold bit.

Pam

[Ladkyis]

I would do what Jan says and also contact them if you can. It wouldn't hurt to see what the compiler of the tree is like. and you could perhaps help them a little in return.

[geneius]

I have seen so many incorrect trees on line and have found my family members on other trees, I would err on the side of caution and go down the bold line....remember this is your family tree and not some one else's research!

Years ago I was advised to check all information received / knowledge gained from others to ensure it fitted with my family profile, the word conjecture being used until the details are proven.

[Zen Rabbit]

Again for Jan. Early on at the start of my obsession, sorry, hobby, I found an on line tree with lots of stuff on one branch of my family but the closer I looked the less stable it seemed. In the end I had to delete a considerable chunk of family history that just wasn't my line (I have also had to do this with my own research too when new information revealed an error so it just goes to show mistakes can be made). Check all information as much as you can, if possible go to original sources and try to find back up for any contentious "facts". I would certainly contact the owner of the tree though as any research shared is immensely helpful in uncovering the true picture.

[Jonesy]

This is simply a cynical attempt by certain BG members to fleece of my hard earned cash! Has the GRO been privatised??

No I know you're all right. I couldn't rest if I felt that there was information in my tree that had potential doubt. Thanks all.

[Zen Rabbit]

That's GRO PLC to you