Genealogy Chat

Just before christmas I posted a message on this site 'shared trees' as I found that my entire tree had been copied onto someone who has a vast amount of rellies on their tree. Found it very annoying but the crowd who replied were very sympathetic. Despite our best attempts to ensure that our relations are ours, buy orderting certificates etc there's always going to be someone who cannot be bothered to ensure information is correct. I, sadly, now feel a little reluctant to add to my GR tree Sandra

Hi I've heard from C and he has put a death index from Perth Austrialia on here. I think he intends to be helpful to anyone who might have had an ancestor out there. Happy New year! Heather

Hi Linda and Kim, Yes I too had that repy from C. Looks like he sent the same reply to us all....I get the feeling that his 'tree' is just a database of names. Sue

I had the same reply from c, even though i asked if any of his gibbons were from bethnal green kim

Maybe I'm being super thick and/or too complacent, but I really think some people are being a touch paranoid. I only have my direct lines on GR, but have over 3000 names in my tree on FTM. One of my interests is a one-name study and I have nearly all the descendants of a common ancestor. Nearly all my lines go back to the 1700s and over the years, I have come across people who have extensive trees of various ancestors and have sent me GEDCOM files. I have them merged into my main file, although I don't generally share the secondary information with others, but refer enquiries to the people who originally gave me the information. My ancestors mainly came from a rural background and sometimes I've become a bit of an expert on the inter-marriages in certain small villages and have been able to help people out. I would never claim to know about everybody in my tree, but I recognise most of the surnames and every so often I am interested in little parts of the jigsaw and do more research either into the name or the location. I guess I could add another few thousand names to my tree with very little difficulty if I added the ancestors of spouses of cousins, etc. I looked up some of C's names on Ancestry and at least three of them (I couldn't be bothered looking for more) appear on a tree with 27,670 names. It's possible to download GEDCOMs from Ancestry, so it's possible this is what C did. The 'belong' to other people...not just the people on GR who have them on their personal trees. If one or more of his names appeared in other large trees, it wouldn't have taken long to compile a tree with over 50,000 names. Why anybody would want to is another matter, but if you look on Ancestry, some of the trees are massive...I've found several with over 100,000 names. These trees sometimes go back practically to prehistoric times and I guess some people are determined to trace their ancestry back to Adam and Eve! If C has all of a sudden uploaded his GEDCOM to GR...and again, I really don't see the point...it's not surprising his names should match with a number of people on the board. I've got about 2000 'matches' for BROWN at the moment uploaded in the last day! It doesn't mean he has taken the details from anybody at GR. Personally, I think C doesn't understand the purpose of this site or how it works and how irritating it is when people use GR to store huge trees they know virtually nothing about...but then he wouldn't be the only one!! I have somebody who has uploaded part of my tree and when I asked how she was connected, the reply was that she didn't, but it was sent to her by somebody, who has a vague connection, so she saved it and uploaded her complete file! Of course I could be wrong and this is a saboteur or some kind of conspiracy theory, but somehow I remain to be convinced.

He appears on most of my ''normal'' names in my tree, but not on ANY of the ''unusual spelling'' names! I have found some more Aussie rellies fer ''C'' again with proper places of birth....they were called Fleming. Merry

I have just checked my tree matches and guess what , yes the elusive 'C' appears seven times so far, haven't finished looking yet. They were all added today. Sue

It would be easy, but tiresome to do this tree. You have all been doing a name search for 'C'. He could have done exactly that for random names and then made a 'tree' to fit them on. Not very productive or useful.

I have to log out now, Shirts to iron for tomorrow etc... But will check in again in the morning, before work. Lets hope it gets sorted soon. I really dont like the idea of someone just collecting names like this. Night night all, Sue

c doesnt seem to have any hewisons but he matches all but one of my family names. i looked at my tree matches for 1 day and there is c . i only have 43 surnames but add them to everyone elses and he's quite a heinz 57!

Thought I'd try that too....'Hewison, Australia' and yes the screen went haywire. Half a page showing over the top of half another page...very odd... It seems as if something very strange is going on here sue

I have searched through hundreds of Hewison records on here just now, but can't find ANY (so far - not finished yet) with a ''Yes'' by the side (for having made contact) As C's Chappell entries had proper details, I wondered if this is part of the person's REAL tree (not add ons) and so wondered if ''C'' was born in Australia, like the Chappell's.....Tried entering just the surname, Hewison, and born in Australia......My whole system froze!!!!!!!! Tried the same for other fairly common surnames with Australia and they either came up nice as pie or said there were too many matches....just normal...... Is there something funny going on? Why does ''C'' not appear to have ANYONE called Hewison on their tree?????? Merry

Sorry Merry, Yes I see what you mean now!! I'm a bit slow on the up-take tonight!! I sent him a messsage too...lol... Sue

Because I have sent him a message, he should have a ''Yes'' by his name when I look, but there are none?????? (I got the same 12 matches as you, Sue.) Merry

Merry, I've just done a name search on Christopher Hewison...and it comes up with 12...but only 2 who are on a tree owned by a Christopher.. Not sure if that significant... (oops spelling?).. Sue

Christopher has a lot of people called Chappell on his tree........the only name I have found, so far, where he has proper places of birth for them all...........In various places in Australia If his name is Christopher Hewison, how come he doesn't appear when I do a name search?????/ Merry

Ann, I'm the same... my only tree on the internet is on here, my other files are just on my computer, and I dont have any files in a Gedcom format either. So how come he/she has some names that match mine (they not common names at all, most people with the same name conect to mine) I have sent c a message (unchecking the box to see my tree) asking how he is connected to Elizabeth Jane *****. Wonder if I get a reply? Yes I think we should be worried...Think its going to spoil all the good will on this site. I've been helped quite a bit when I've hit brickwalls and I thank all the people who have nudged me in the right direction. I'd hate anyone just to use my names on their tree. Sue

Ann, I fully agree it is rather against the spirit of things but why assume that Mr 'C' has obtained his information from this site? It is more likely that he has got it from Ancestry / Rootsweb etc which have the facility to download entire trees into gedcom files, unless the contributor has remembered to tick the box preventing this, even then there is nothing to stop you copying the names. The few names that I have checked have no place of birth so there is no way of knowing if they connect to anything I have, even if some do look familiar. I don't agree with what has happened but think we should just be a tad careful before making sweeping statements about system hacking and possible abuse.

C has got names in some of my names but not had any matches yet and none in my main names just on small twigs Jeanette

Hi, So do you think that 'c' is just copying the names from Hot Matches? But surely c must have had those names to start with...to make them come up in his matches... if you follow my thinking? Dont think you can access anyones elses names without them being in your own tree to start with? Sue update....just going to check my other names.....