Quick and Dirty Ancestry Tree?

[Vio]

Has anyone used the quick and dirty method (https://www.eastsurreyfhs.org.uk/images/How_to_Build_QD_trees_in_Ancestry_July_2020.pdf)?

One disadvantage is that it relies on Ancestry trawling its huge database including family trees with inaccuracies, but as long as the hints are taken with a pinch of salt, it might open up new avenues to pursue.

What do people think? Too many red herrings generated or a possibly useful tool along with all the others?

I am looking for a mystery great grandfather (father to my illegitimate grandfather born 1896). I have some mystery Ancestry DNA matches that could well lead to him after a lot more work.

 

[peter]

I'm all for using Ancestry's tools to solve problems. Unfortunately when I tried to use this method a while back the Ancestry must have been very busy, because after going back a couple of generations I kept being told to come back later.

It's worth bearing in mind that Ancestry themselves use a similar technique to identify the Common ancestors we share with our DNA matches (though they only look at family trees, not records).

 

[Vio]

Thanks Peter. I might give it a go with a few very mysterious DNA links that have popped up.

 

[Vio]

I've found Common Ancestors on the DNA match list useful at times, but not the ThruLines, which just tells me what I already know and have already put in my tree.

 

[JMCWSW]

Has anyone used the quick and dirty method (https://www.eastsurreyfhs.org.uk/images/How_to_Build_QD_trees_in_Ancestry_July_2020.pdf)?

One disadvantage is that it relies on Ancestry trawling its huge database including family trees with inaccuracies, but as long as the hints are taken with a pinch of salt, it might open up new avenues to pursue.

What do people think? Too many red herrings generated or a possibly useful tool along with all the others?

I am looking for a mystery great grandfather (father to my illegitimate grandfather born 1896). I have some mystery Ancestry DNA matches that could well lead to him after a lot more work.

I build trees all the time of interesting DNA matches, but there's nothing quick and dirty about them, as it's useful to then be able to prove/disprove the hints that ancestry will generate, if they've been properly researched. Most of the time they're in my own data file and my programme calls them "Island Trees" and gives me the ability to search them out anytime I have the urge to go further. Lots I build separately, are just to get to the common ancestors to enable linking them all. But yes, then transferring this researched data to ancestry enables their search engines to have a go. (I will have built my trees from all my non-ancestry.com resources, first).

But, *PLEASE* don't make "guestimated" trees public. And, *PLEASE* ensure you have a half-decent profile of your own on ancestry (this applies to everyone who has an ancestry account) describing your areas of interest, and why you've taken a DNA test and whether you're open to collaborating with other family members.

Explaining your brick walls and etc., means that if *we* are related, I'm more likely to get in touch when I have the information that you may be seeking. Especially in the case of skeletons in the cupboard aka knowledge of non-paternal-events.

 

[Vio]

Thanks JMCWSW. That's encouraging. I have built a tree for one family mystery just to find the connections, and will certainly start with those DNA links.

Also thanks for the tips - I have made sure they're all private but I think Ancestry does still trawl them along with the public trees when it's looking for Thrulines.

 

[Sue_3]

... I have made sure they're all private but I think Ancestry does still trawl them along with the public trees when it's looking for Thrulines.

I think that depends on whether or not your private tree is also searchable. Ancestry say "If your tree is private and not searchable, you won't see ThruLines, and your matches' private, non-searchable trees also won't be visible to you." That's not completely crystal, but if I want to keep a tree to myself - or only to me and people I directly invite to view it - I set it as private and non-searchable.