FTA found no census details

[sarah333]

I have looked through the FTA discussion threads but still not sure of the answer to this question. I imported a gedcom of my family tree into FTA but it comes up saying "Found no census or suitable residence facts in GEDCOM File.
This is probably because you have recorded census facts as notes
This will mean that the census report will show everyone as not yet found on census
and the Lost Cousins report will report no-one with a census needing to be entered
onto your Lost Cousins My Ancestors page
I don't really understand what it means when it says I have recorded census facts as notes as I certainly didn't make notes for each person regarding census entries so can you explain it for me please and perhaps tell me where on a family tree I am meant to put census facts and also what exactly are these facts? Sorry if this sounds a silly question but it puzzles me!
Thank you - new member - Sarah

 

[Tim]

Hi Sarah, and welcome!!

What Family History Software do you use? Also there is some documentation here that might help.

Once we know what FHS you use, we can direct you to some knowledgeable people here on the Forum who use FTA.

And what you may not have known, but the writer of FTA, Alexander, is quite a regular visitor here himself

So we should have you sorted in no time.

 

[sarah333]

I don't really use any FHS. I exported my tree from Genesreunited in gedcom format to my computer where it went into Ancestral Quest and that would be the tree that I imported into FTA. Even though I am quite good with a lot of IT things I have never been very good with gedcoms and importing and exporting family trees and at the moment have to find a family tree program to use. So as you can see it's not really clear to me how this census data is meant to go in.
Thank you - Sarah

 

[Tim]

Hi Sarah,

Well I've not used GenesReunited to add census records to my tree but it sounds like it's not doing the job properly. You can have a look at your gedcom to check by right clicking on the file and choosing the option Open With, and use Notepad.

If you then do a CTRL+F to search for a CENS fact or a RESI fact, you should find something like this.

1 CENS
2 DATE 1881
2 PLAC Hedworth Monkton & Jarrow,Durham,England

If you don't find any CENS or RESI facts, then this will be why FTA can also not find them.

Whatever FHS you finally decide to use, you need to be able to add Census records. I now use FTM 2012 which I see you can get for £29.99 from Amazon and this includes 6 months subscription to Ancestry. You'll be able to import your gedcom and then very easily add census records to your ancestors.

Also I'd strongly recommend that for the people that you add to Lost Cousins, that you create a Lost Cousins fact for each one. FTA uses this fact type to tell you which people you've added and more importantly, which ones you need to add.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[sarah333]

Hi Sarah,

Well I've not used GenesReunited to add census records to my tree but it sounds like it's not doing the job properly. You can have a look at your gedcom to check by right clicking on the file and choosing the option Open With, and use Notepad.

If you then do a CTRL+F to search for a CENS fact or a RESI fact, you should find something like this.

1 CENS
2 DATE 1881
2 PLAC Hedworth Monkton & Jarrow,Durham,England

If you don't find any CENS or RESI facts, then this will be why FTA can also not find them.

Whatever FHS you finally decide to use, you need to be able to add Census records. I now use FTM 2012 which I see you can get for £29.99 from Amazon and this includes 6 months subscription to Ancestry. You'll be able to import your gedcom and then very easily add census records to your ancestors.

Also I'd strongly recommend that for the people that you add to Lost Cousins, that you create a Lost Cousins fact for each one. FTA uses this fact type to tell you which people you've added and more importantly, which ones you need to add.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

I tried to do what you said with looking at the gedcom and then after much hassle I found Notepad but when I tried to do the\Search I didn't come up with anything relevant and still not sure when or where you're meant to add these census records, as I've looked at my gedcom and can't see anywhere to add them. I have exported a new one fron genesreunited as has more up to date info but still not sure where to add these census dates and is it only 1881 census facts you need?
Sorry again for being obtuse but I have never really understood gedcoms etc.
Thank - Sarah

 

[Bryman]

I hope that I am not missing the whole point of this conversation but GR does not allow the input of census information other than in the form of notes.
Therefore, the gedcom file produced from GR will not have that information in a form which is usable by FTA.

I suggest that Sarah should first determine which FHS she wishes to use and then input the GR gedcom file to form the basis of the tree within that package. Census information can then be added within that FHS before exporting a new gedcom file from there to use within FTA.

FYI Sarah, there is nothing magical or complicated about gedcom files. They are just a way of moving family history information about in a standard
format which can be understood by various different packages. I hope this helps to clear the air.

Good luck, and do come back if you have any further questions.

 

[Tim]

Hi Sarah, Bryman is right. You do need to choose a FHS and then use this to create your census and Lost Cousins Facts. You will still be able to export out of your new FHS and import it into FTA, and also import it into GR. GR is not the best place to record/create your family tree, but instead, a place where you can display it.

Choosing a FHS is very much down to personal choice, and I can't give you a balanced review as I've only ever used 2.

But if you want to know more about Family Tree Maker (FTM) then let me know and I'll write something up.

 

[AnneC]

Hi Sarah, Bryman is right. You do need to choose a FHS and then use this to create your census and Lost Cousins Facts. You will still be able to export out of your new FHS and import it into FTA, and also import it into GR. GR is not the best place to record/create your family tree, but instead, a place where you can display it.

Choosing a FHS is very much down to personal choice, and I can't give you a balanced review as I've only ever used 2.

Sarah, you may find help at a previous discussion about choosing FHS

 

[Alexander Bisset]

I don't really use any FHS. I exported my tree from Genesreunited in gedcom format to my computer where it went into Ancestral Quest and that would be the tree that I imported into FTA. Even though I am quite good with a lot of IT things I have never been very good with gedcoms and importing and exporting family trees and at the moment have to find a family tree program to use. So as you can see it's not really clear to me how this census data is meant to go in.
Thank you - Sarah

GenesReunited will export in GEDCOM format there really isn't a need to then import it into Ancestral Quest and export it again. As Bryman suggests Genes Reunited is really quite basic and doesn't store much more than very basic facts (birth/marriage/death). Almost any modern family tree program will permit you to enter specific fact types to record any number of types of events that happened to your ancestors. Having a read of the previous discussion may assist you choose. Largely the decision comes down to picking a product and sticking with it, almost always regardless of what you choose that will be the program you like from then on. Most people rarely change as they get used to a specific programs features. However almost anything is better than just entering data on a website, as you have limited features and no control over your data.

 

[sarah333]

Thank you all so much for your help and explaining gedcoms to me and I now understand why there are no census facts as GR does not have that facility. I am wondering about getting the FTM with the 6 months ancestry sub from Amazon if it is still on offer. Tim, you offered to tell me a bit more about this FHS so just a few basic facts about it would be very much appreciated. From what you have all said, once I have a proper FHS I can then import the gedcom from GR since it has all the BMD dates etc, then I add the census info - should it be 1881 or doesn't it matter? and then export the new gedcom to FTA? Have I got this right?! Also you say for each entry give a Lost Cousins fact, and by this do you mean the census details or something else? One more thing; Peter from LC says he never uses the Family Tree Maker, but I have the feeling it might suit me. Will also have a look at the previous discussion about choosing FHS
Look forward to hearing from you all, and once again, many thanks - Sarah

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Once you decide on a family history program you can do what I do Sarah. Export your GEDCOM from Genes Reunited then update the facts in the family history program then periodically say once a month export your GEDCOM file from your family history program and load it back into Genes Reunited. By regularly keeping your tree up to date in GR you get the best of both worlds a flexible family history program that you can properly back up and enter more detailed facts in as well as maintaining the up to date tree on GR so that people can contact you.

Peter says he doesn't use FTM although he buys it to get the cheaper ancestry subscription. As he says in the newsletter this is because he already uses a program called GenoPro that he is very happy with. Since he is happy with the program and it does what he wants there isn't much point changing. You are in a different situation that is very common with people who do family history.

The journey usually is keep some records on paper, realise that becomes cumbersome so start entering data on a useful, easy to use site like Genes Reunited. Actually GR corners the market in newcomers to family history it is extremely common that people start on GR. Then after a while the bug has bitten and they want to do more with their tree and realise that GR just doesn't measure up. ie: they outgrow what GR has to offer, this is when people typically start using their first family history program. Then more often than not, unless you really dislike the first program you start getting used to, you never change from that program unless the authors stop producing updates or it stops working on a newer computer.

This is why making this initial choice is worth taking some time over. Different programs have different strengths, eg: GenoPro is very good at allowing you to lay out your tree graphically, although its a bit dated now, Family Tree Maker has the best integration with the Ancestry websites, Family Historian is a very standards based package in that it ties into the GEDCOM standard extremely well, its plugins also allow lots of in depth analysis. There are many good other programs out there Legacy for instance I believe is a well loved program that is very strong all rounder, although I've not used it myself. There is also a program produced by the FamilySearch.org people the name of which escapes me now.

So the choice is something that you feel comfortable with, that suits your level of expertise, ie: its not worth getting one with lots of bells and whistles and complicated features, if you aren't confident with tackling these things. Reports might be something you want to focus on eg: for giving info to other family members, some are quite weak at that some are very strong. Then there is how up to date the programs are, some programs were written in the 90s and boy does it show today as they struggle to run on modern machines or look very dated.

This is in my opinion a reason to avoid them as you really don't want to be buying a program new to you that will be obsolete soon. Check the date of release and when the last update came out as a rule of thumb if there hasn't been an update in the last 2-3 years avoid that program. On the other hand there are really modern programs some of which even have free apps for iPads and other tablets. Family Tree Maker which I use fits into this very up to date category. The Ancestry iPad app is great and very easy to use and can be used to show your tree to family members who don't have a computer.

Then again I'm an IT guy so being bang up to date is very important to me it may not matter so much to you and you may not like that FTM is a bit weak on the reports it can produce. It does a decent job of reports but not as flexible as some others. No one program is better than another, have a read of the discussions on the different programs and see if anyone else's experience chimes with yours. Typically if you find someone who seems to be on the same wavelength as you in how you research then the odds are that their choice of family history program will suit you well.

 

[sarah333]

Thanks for replying so quickly, and I did also reply to your other message which was in my in-box but I basically just asked more of the same kind of things. I will have to have a think which one to get and I like the idea of a free app for ipads with FTM as I have one, and also if Amazon still has an offer as at the moment I have to use my public libraries to use Ancestry as my sub is with FMP (and by the way not happy at all with their new format!). Also I have heard some good things about Family Historian and perhaps there might be a free trial with one or other of these so I could see which suited me best. I used to have a sub with Myheritage and their FHS that you could get with it (can't remember the name offhand) but found it was kind of duplicating what I did with Genes plus I found some of my ancestors in huge trees and the owners didn't really have a proper link with me (or even most of these ancestors) at all!
Thanks for your help, and will check Amazon prices tomprrow anyway - Sarah

 

[Alexander Bisset]

MyHeritage has a very negative reputation, many users have only bad things to say about them especially in the realms of trying to cancel payments or get refunds for charges that shouldn't have happened. Reading some of the results you get from a Google search for "My Heritage Refund" will put you off ever going near them, ever again. Plus often large chunks of your tree get grabbed by other users with no credit or checking that its appropriate.

 

[AnneC]

and perhaps there might be a free trial with one or other of these so I could see which suited me best.

Sarah, Legacy (basic edition) is free to download so you could try it out. I have used this for 10 years now, and although I also have FTM I choose Legacy as my main software as I find it more intuitive to use. But as Alex says, it's a very personal choice so I would advise trying as many as you are able before you buy.

 

[sarah333]

Thanks AnneC. Will use your link to download basic legacy and see how O find it first before I do make a decision.

 

[sarah333]

Sarah, Legacy (basic edition) is free to download so you could try it out. I have used this for 10 years now, and although I also have FTM I choose Legacy as my main software as I find it more intuitive to use. But as Alex says, it's a very personal choice so I would advise trying as many as you are able before you buy.

Hi again. I have finally got round to downloading the free standard edition of Legacy and am just getting used to it. I imported my gedcom from GenesReunited into it which was ok, but for some reason the members of each family aren't now in chronological order like they were on Genes, though it seems quite easy to switch them into the right order. In fact it kind of prompts me to do so. Not sure if I have to put in the census details for everyone myself before I try it with FTA or whether there is some way it can do it for me, but will probably find out when I've played around with it a bit more. Just wondered whether you had any tips you could give me, if you've got the time?
Many thanks - Sarah

 

[Tim]

Hi Sarah, did you want tips for Legacy or for FTAnalyzer?

 

[AnneC]

Hi again. I have finally got round to downloading the free standard edition of Legacy and am just getting used to it. I imported my gedcom from GenesReunited into it which was ok, but for some reason the members of each family aren't now in chronological order like they were on Genes, though it seems quite easy to switch them into the right order. In fact it kind of prompts me to do so. Not sure if I have to put in the census details for everyone myself before I try it with FTA or whether there is some way it can do it for me, but will probably find out when I've played around with it a bit more. Just wondered whether you had any tips you could give me, if you've got the time?
Many thanks - Sarah

I think you will have to put census details in first before using FTA, although having said that I think that FTA would give you an idea of who is likely to be on the various censuses depending on their dates. There is a function on Legacy now (which I must admit I haven't used very much yet, so can't be too specific) whereby you can enter an event and then link it to many people. I used to use the tagging tools to mark who I had put in Lost Cousins, but now create a new "LC" event which FTA can pick up.
I know that Cathy is a longstanding Legacy user and Beta tester, and may be able to offer further advice.

 

[sarah333]

Hi Sarah, did you want tips for Legacy or for FTAnalyzer?

Sorry! At the moment, for Legacy. Perhaps I should watch their tutorial or whatever it is called if you get it with the Standard version, but any tips re what I mentioned in my last message would still be appreciated.
Many thanks - Sarah

 

[sarah333]

Hi Sarah, and welcome!!

What Family History Software do you use? Also there is some documentation here that might help.

Once we know what FHS you use, we can direct you to some knowledgeable people here on the Forum who use FTA.

And what you may not have known, but the writer of FTA, Alexander, is quite a regular visitor here himself

So we should have you sorted in no time.

Hi
It has been a while since I have been on here, but I took your advice, and installed Legacy (the free version) on my laptop, whilst still using my genes Reunited tree as well. So thank you for your help, and now I need a bit more where Legacy is concerned! I am thinking of getting a new laptop and I know that many things I can save on a memory stick, cdrom etc, but this wouldn't work for my Legacy family tree. When I go into Legacy I never have to seem to log in with a password, though if I add new people to it, etc it will back it up for me when I exit it. So if I get a new PC can I just install Legacy on it and the software will recognize me, or should I save it as gedcom file on the old PC and then transfer it to the new one when the time comes? I can't find anywhere on Legacy that answers these qusetions for me, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Sarah333