Ancestry Tree

[Pauline]

I have never had a tree at Ancestry, having created my own genealogy website many years ago. However, having recently taken a DNA test with Ancestry it seemed like it might be a good idea to create an outline tree there also.

Although it seems fairly straightforward so far, I have been having a couple of issues which despite searching the help pages, I can't seem to sort.

1) I have followed the instructions to turn off hints, and although this has mostly stopped hints from other trees, I can't seem to stop hints from historic records, nor those relating to images in other people's trees. Most of the hints are useless, relating to events I've already entered, or to things like a suggested 1911 census entry for someone who died in 1718!

2) I'm struggling with how to sort out the details for a 'spouse' to whom my ancestor was not married. I've changed the relationship to 'partner', and can more or less put up with them still showing as a spouse. But unless I turn off showing family events for the whole tree, I can't get rid of the entry in her profile showing 'death of husband ...' My ancestor was not her husband, someone else was - which was why they didn't marry - and it just looks all wrong. I don't want to disconnect the couple, or omit her, as they had children together who are my half-blood relatives.

Can anyone more experienced with Ancestry trees offer any help, please?

 

[jorghes]

The only thing you can really do with the hints is to ignore them (i.e. press the ignore button) and they'll go away. My pet peeve with them is that they can bring up the same photo about 5 times occasionally depending on whose tree it's trying to add it from and that can be very annoying, especially if you're trying to get rid of them all. Often however they are very useful - sometimes just to add sources to your tree; and other times they do bring up actual records that are something you haven't found before and are useful. (To be honest, usually they're related to the person you're adding more often than not).

As for the spouse details - do you mean the greyed out lines in the tree where it adds things like "birth of daughter" etc? If so, then that is simply ancestry adding that in, and it doesn't affect the underlying tree - for example if you download the GEDcom file, that little greyed out line doesn't come with it. Same with syncing to FTM, only the white facts are brought into your offline tree, not the grey line events. But as it's part of Ancestry's website I don't honestly know if you can turn it off.
You could try turning off the Lifestory part of the tree (which is in tree settings) and see if that makes a difference to the grey events list.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Can anyone more experienced with Ancestry trees offer any help, please?

Well I think I qualify on that count at least, but, over-time, knowing how you dislike Microsoft interventions and other programs that attempt to deviate you from your chosen way of working, I am not at all surprised you have encountered similar frustrations setting up an Ancestry Tree. Ancestry is a genealogical version of Microsoft; their way or no way at all. (Not strictly true as there is often a way round).

Jorghes has already beaten me to telling you to press 'Ignore' when viewing Hints -which works for me - and as she also says, some hints are most welcome and often saves having to seek them out yourself. You will find them more of a blessing than nuisance in time and just need to 'get over' the 'sillies' that crop up by clicking 'Ignore'. I remind the 'Hints' feature has become a major part of Ancestry's Raison d'être as is the search facility from within a Tree which knocks spots over a 'cold' Ancestry search. On that basis FMP wins every time, but once you search from an ancestor's page Ancestry is the better medium-most of the time!

As for your second point - if I read you correctly - you refer to Ancestry not allowing for non-marriage or common-law relationships or whatever name you wish to give them. My way round is add as a Spouse and then add a Custom Event Fact (Click on Facts and choose Custom Event). Give it the required heading and write in supporting detail. It will then show as Fact under the heading given. I also like to add Comments to support and explain anything out of the ordinary. Very useful when viewing at a later date.

It goes without saying that in a Public Tree (as all mine are) custom events and comments will be revealed to all. That does not bother me in the least, and never has. If it bothers you then keep your Tree private. I do not often choose to view other Trees but when on occasion I do it is of little matter to sort the wheat from the chaff. Most of the time I recognise Tree owner names and recall the quality of their research, and that I have communicated with them before; and they with me of course. Ancestry is a community and although not without faults (what is?), it does 'what it says on the tin' . The only thing I keep to a minimum are photos, these are reserved for my private Tribal Pages.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Having just re-read your post Pauline, I missed the 'death of husband' bit. In the same situation I would, if so minded, raise a Custom Event and give it the same year date as the death so that it will sit above or below the event and explain they were not married, or simply add a Comment. I doubt either solution will sit well with you however so perhaps others may be aware of other ways to achieve what you seek.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

Firstly, just to clarify about the 'death of husband' - it's when I'm looking at the profile of the female half of the partnership (whom I had specified as a Partner), and Facts. With the list of facts on the left-hand side it includes 'Death of Husband', followed by his name and the details. I can get rid of this by unticking the option to show Family Events, but that turns this option off for the whole tree.

Normally, I could just put up with little quirk, but in this case it bothered me because her actual husband was then still alive.

With the hints, I have been clicking 'Ignore' but an option to 'Ignore all' might be helpful. I am not looking for sources as I already have these, and sometimes Ancestry is offering information from a transcript when I have it from the original register or whatever. Also, as this is just an extra and outline tree, I'm not bothered about including census entries and so on.

But again, if the hints were just from historical records, this would be manageable, and where I have gaps in my information, I have been checking just in case that elusive marriage or death (or whatever) pops up. But it's the images and stories from other member trees that have been driving me up the wall, despite turning off the option for hints from other trees.

Most frustrating is that in one line I have been getting around 120+ hints per person of images from another member's tree. Even more frustrating is that much of this person's tree is constructed from my research, and some of the images are things that I scanned initially! Hence my wish to turn these hints off, or at least have an 'Ignore all' option.

 

[Pauline]

Having just re-read your post Pauline, I missed the 'death of husband' bit. In the same situation I would, if so minded, raise a Custom Event and give it the same year date as the death so that it will sit above or below the event and explain they were not married, or simply add a Comment. I doubt either solution will sit well with you however so perhaps others may be aware of other ways to achieve what you seek.

Would a custom event be included in the partner's family events?

 

[Pauline]

knowing how you dislike Microsoft interventions and other programs that attempt to deviate you from your chosen way of working, I am not at all surprised you have encountered similar frustrations setting up an Ancestry Tree

You make me sound like a pernickety old hen.

I have actually found Ancestry trees fairly easy to get along with, and where we deviate in objective, it has mostly not taken long to find a way round things.

 

[Pauline]

I'm making progress with my tree but have come up with another question I can't find the answer to:

Is there any way to rearrange the order in which a person's spouses are listed? For example, if I enter two wives for one of my ancestors, but don't have details of a marriage for one of them, then that wife shows at the bottom of the list, even if she came first.

I can get round this by entering a presumed marriage with an estimated date. However, I have just been entering the 5 wives of one of my 3 x great grandfathers, and know for certain that he didn't marry "wife" number 3, so can't enter a presumed marriage. She is thus sitting at the bottom of the list of his spouses, but should really be in the middle.

Entering children of the relationship didn't sort this, and a custom event doesn't seem to either, as it seems to relate only to an individual. Any suggestions, please?

 

[Bob Spiers]

Is there any way to rearrange the order in which a person's spouses are listed?

Ah!! one of my early Ancestry niggles; sorting out marriage sequences. That used to get me going especially when Tribal Pages allow you to get round the issue by changing sequence numberings (#1,#2#3 etc.) and -most importantly - allowing you to changed 'Married' to 'Not Married' if required.

All Marriage sequences (leaving aside non marriages for the moment) are picked up from Marriage facts, whether from Ancestry's own historic sources or from a custom Marriage entry of your own. Just ensure you identify the correct spouse and mostly importantly provide a date whether factual or guesstimated. Sequences will adjust accordingly.

As for non marriages the procedure is the same. You still need to" invent" a custom marriage event identifying the individual and a date that suits fits its sequential order. You are then best advised to type in the 'Description' box words to the effect that you are indicating a partnership rather than a marriage which won't affect the way Ancestry will pick up the sequencing of 'supposed' marriage partners.

 

[Tim]

I'm a bit lost Pauline as to why you are so worried about the layout of this tree? As you said, you've only added it to aid in your DNA research.
A lot of the features you describe are in the PC FTM version, and not in the Ancestry online version. But be assured the data is still correct in the gedcom, however I doubt you will ever download this gedcom. You should only ever have one master copy which you update, and use that one source to update this and other tress.

Bob's suggestion will force the layout to be more visually pleasing if that's all you need.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Would a custom event be included in the partner's family events?

Generally no, custom events are very much applicable only to the individual.

You make me sound like a pernickety old hen.

Would I dare? Certainly not! As for 'pernickety' I see its synonyms are 'fastidious' and 'hard to please' and that is no bad thing. Ancestry requires a degree of give and take and the thing to bear in mind is its World Wide Community label now enhanced with its DNA attraction. It not just a Data Base to tailor to your own needs (there are other FH programs that fill that bill) so stick with it as it is really a pussy cat at heart.

 

[Pauline]

I'm a bit lost Pauline as to why you are so worried about the layout of this tree? As you said, you've only added it to aid in your DNA research.

Good question! I guess because, although I'm keeping this tree private for now, and would usually refer people to my own website to compare notes, I may some time wish to invite someone to view it. And things like this could cause confusion in a quick browse.

 

[Tim]

You're right, it does cause confusion. I have it with my tree. Creating the pseudo Marriage fact will work, and maybe a residence fact for the period they were together? With some comments of course?

 

[Pauline]

I have been getting around 120+ hints per person of images from another member's tree.

I think I've now worked out why I am gettings so many hints for images from this person's tree. Firstly, instead of linking to images at Ancestry, he has downloaded them and then uploaded them to his tree like photos, which may be his preferred way of doing things.

However, the major issue seems to be that he has attached numerous images to numerous people in his tree simultaneously. So 95% (or more) of the images have no relevance to the people the hints are appearing on.

 

[Tim]

There is this if you're going to create a custom fact, DomesticPartnership

You're right, there are a lot of people who don't know what they're doing or understand the ramifications of how the software works.

 

[jorghes]

The other thing is you can chose a "preferred" spouse when editing relationships, but I don't know if it will help your spousal ordering...

 

[Pauline]

The other thing is you can chose a "preferred" spouse when editing relationships, but I don't know if it will help your spousal ordering...

Can I do that if I'm editing at Ancestry? I've been looking but can't see how or where to do it.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Can I do that if I'm editing at Ancestry? I've been looking but can't see how or where to do it.

Click the down arrow on EDIT (top right) and choose 'Edit relationships'. Pretty straightforward after that and may well provide a solution to some of the points you raise; other than sequencing of course.

 

[Pauline]

Click the down arrow on EDIT (top right) and choose 'Edit relationships'. Pretty straightforward after that

Hmm, not to me I'm afraid. That's where I was looking before, but I can't see anything about choosing a preferred spouse. The options seem to be to add a parent, a spouse or child, or to select from the Spouse dropdown.

Am I missing something?

 

[Tim]

No I don't think your missing anything Pauline. I only know how to do that in FTM, but you can select partner here, not that it alters much on the display.