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When using Ancestry.com to research your family tree, should you accept the record hints? As with anything in genealogy, the answer depends on whether the hint is accurate or not.
How Do You Decide If a Record Hint on Ancestry is Accurate?
Consider the following questions when deciding whether to accept or reject a record hint on Ancestry.
Does the record reflect a biological possibility?
Are the record name individuals you have established connected to your investigating ancestor?
Does the document support previously discovered research?
Does the information contradict the previous research?
Sometimes, you can quickly rule in or rule out a hint. In other situations, you must dig deeper to find your answer.
Where Can You Find Record Hints on Ancestry?
There are several places you can find hints while researching your ancestors. They include:
Front Page Family Tree Overview Box -- “View People With Hints”
Leaf Icon in the top menu bar beside “Hire an Expert.”
On the pedigree chart view
On the individual fact page for your ancestors
There are several types of hints on Ancestry.com. You can explore records, photos, stories, and member tree hints. I typically explore these hints in the following order of importance.
I rarely use member tree hints.
Story hints are interesting if I don’t already have them in my tree
Photo hints are valuable if it’s not a flag, flower, tree, or “DNA match” graphic.
Records -- I spend nearly all of my time exploring record hints.
A Case Study in When to Accept a Record Hint
In the above video, I evaluate a record hint for Oscar Ward’s son George’s death record.
Oscar and George Ward are common names. I must be careful when evaluating potential genealogical evidence of their identity and relationships. (Read “Tips For Researching Common Ancestors” for more strategies.)
Eventually, I accepted this hint because:
George’s middle name, Albert, was recorded.
George’s wife, Grace, was mentioned.
The informant, Lee Ward, is likely George’s son (Lorenzo or Laurence)
The record identifies George’s occupation as a theater manager
The death record did not identify George’s mother as Jeanette, or else I would have been quickly convinced to accept the record.
When I reviewed census records for George, I quickly found clues that helped me validate the accuracy of his death record. Thus, I could attach the hint to his father, Oscar.
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A Case Study in When to Reject an Ancestry Record Hint
But what happens if a hint doesn’t seem accurate?
In the case of Mary Elizabeth Smith, she has 10 hints. I rejected several hints because:
One hint happened in 1920, but Mary died in 1889.
Another hint linked to Levi Steel, not Mary Smith.
Another had her married to a different man in a different state, and at the same time, she married her husband, Leon Smith.
I theorize that many of these hints come from poorly researched Ancestry member trees or that the algorithm needs some refinement.
Tips for Attaching a Record Hint to Your Family Tree
Once you accept an Ancestry hint, you still need to consider some things.
You can overwrite your tree information with information from the record.
You can ignore the information on the record.
You can add alternative information to your tree based on the new information from the record hint.
The above video shows you when I did each of these three options.
Should You Believe the Ancestry Record Hints?
A good genealogist, which we are striving to be, continuously validates the hints before we accept them.
Some genealogists ignore the hint cloth. For me, that’s inefficient research and wastes your time.
Use the hints, but validate them.
If they support that at research you have already established., then go ahead and accept the hint.
If it contradicts what you have found, you can reject it.
Just be open to the possibility that sometimes you need to accept what you want to reject and vice versa. Sometimes, previous research is wrong.
If you have further questions about using ancestry hints, be sure to leave them in the comment section below.
More Ancestry Tips and Tricks
Find More Genealogy Discoveries Using the Ancestry Card Catalog
How To Handle People Posting Facts on Ancestry That Are Not True
How to Handle People Posting Facts On Ancestry That Are Not True
Ancestry Tips: A Trick To Link Photos to Events in Your Family Tree
How to Add Sources to Your Ancestry Family Tree For Other Websites