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How To Fast Search Multiple Trees For Info         Published Monthly
Lesson 040...                                                                                                            2019 02 01

Defining The Problem...
We all want lots of information on each of our subjects. We also want it complete and accurate.
But most of all, we want it fast and we want it now!

Complete databases are hard to come by and are usually oriented towards a specific family line.
Therefore we're each resolved to building our own, which surprises many at how long it really takes.

The complete data we seek will rarely come from any "one book or website".
If we're lucky, several family members or even generations may come under a single find.

But even these may not be a "complete" family.
Text can be limited to certain years, townships, family lines, owner time/interest and more.
It may take several leads to find complete families including children, stillborns and second marriages.

Add to that, that we're usually of a hastened mindset.
We want the information, we want it in bulk, and we want it now.
Usually, most of the information can be found, but "now" may be an issue.


How Did That Happen?...
Generally, this happens in one of two ways.
First, understandably is the novice genealogist accustomed to the ever growing information highway.
Ironically there's the over-expierienced user who's learned to navigate data bases and websites.

Combining computer or phone skills with search engines yields many popular websites and databases.
As time passes it may become revealed that "popular" does not mean complete, or even accurate.
Colors, catchy names and other marketing ploys are built toward ratings/rankings, not data.

More surprisingly is when we've mastered the method of the search and found some "good" websites.
Eventually, we discover that even these sites have left out several children in most families.
Dumbstruck, we again resolve ouselves to collecting data in narrowed treelines.

As a result, like the others, we build a similar "incomplete family tree" aligned with our own heritage.
It's in the completeness of a history that the story of hardship and endurance becomes known.
Showing a family of six surviving on twelve acres is very different than their being nine.


What Can We Do To Fix This?...
Use several trees at once to find more data leads.
Prior to 1850, use township Vital Records to help build your family database.

Use as many actual documents as possible such as census, birth and marriage records (2nd/3rd also).
Birth records-including stillborns-tell a family story with thier hopes, dreams, hurt and placements.
Census records will have additional information, and possibly more family members as well.

By following portions of existing trees that pertain to your needs, you might find some helpful data.
Data collection speed is the variable that we're looking to increase through this segment.
So after you've exhausted the availability of "verifiable data", it's on to trees.

Almost no tree will be in total fulfillment of your needs so understand this from the start.
Most are private trees (Except for the mega-trees) and geared toward their own family needs.
By this very nature, you will need to select several family trees to work with for building your own.

The main purpose here is to collect as much data as possible.
We do this by strict adherance to maternal and/or paternal bloodlines.
Before starting out, decide which type of line you prefer to follow and record.


How Can We Collect The Data Quickly?...
At the risk of creating a "copy-cat" family tree, collecting leads from other trees yields bulk data fast.
Private trees aren't usually designed to be complete, so much as to show specific heredity.
By using several trees at once, larger amounts of data are collected very quickly.

Decide how many family-trees/webpages and software you and your computer can handle at once.
Open all of your favorite/top websites plus a blank/generic web browser each in seperate tabs.
Go to each webtrees surname search/list page, and choose a starting name in your tree.

Arrange each tab in order, according to tree size, and the blank/generic web browser at the highest.
By using the various surname spellings you'll cut wasted time on individual searches.
You'll find variations both in surnames as well as given names.

Check each tree's surname and given name variants and Here's a Canadian hint.
Scanning the names in this way is much faster than doing several typewritten searches.
This time-saving speed is also compounded by however many tabs you have open for searches.


What Else Can We Learn From This?...
Combining several family trees will eventually help to create a fuller single tree.
So long as the data is saved, it needn't be entered right away, so the collecting continues.

If a stallout situation occurs earlier in the line than expected, there are several things to try.
First try a generic web search of the last spousal names together, then try parent/child.
Within each of the trees themselves look for the spouse or a known parent also.

Oddly enough, in large famiy lines that are well recorded, a paridoxical issue occurs.
There may be innumerable "Marie", "Joseph" etc that can take up valuble time in each tab.
When this happens, look in your tree for a closely related more uncommon name to follow back.

Sometimes only one tree may have data on someone.
This either means they're incorrect, or are leading the pack for this line.
Record the person/data, try to replicate the verification process by means of official sources.

While we may have the urge to gather more-and-more, limit yourself.
Trying to do more than we can handle may result in the exact opposite happening.
Factors to be aware of include your burnout rate, computer capability and your desired timeline.


The Basic Rules...
First...
Choose the trees acording to the criteria you feel makes them the best (Size/Accuracy/Connectivity).
Use as many trees as possible without overloading you, your computer or your timelimits.

Second...
Work with all trees at the same time/on same people, together in a deliberate method or direction.
Save whatever information each page has to offer, even if it appears to be duplicate info.

Third...
Follow each ancestral line until no further information is available, then do a generic search.
Continue to blaze as many fast-trails in as many lines as possible while you can!



As always...
What you'll choose to do with this information is up to you.
It will at least serve as a stepping stone for further knowledge.
You should be applauded for your willingness to educate yourself.

These are only basic guidelines, and can always be adjusted to suit your personal needs or budget.
Hopefully the knowledge gained here will help you to be better positioned as a family historian!

      Happy searches!!

        Massachusetts

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