General Chat

Hi, I have a couple of ancestors who give different places of birth during their lives. I have up to now taken the later ones to be right but have since found them to be probably wrong. If I now change the place of birth in my tree it`s bound to affect contacts I have made or yet to make as they will be looking for matches at the previous place. What do you think.
Terry

I personally would want to correct my tree having verified the information by certificates and any other means, as much as possible.

Close family members / contacts can be informed of the changes.

Some people though wouldn't be too bothered and probably won't change their information if you do tell them.

Do what's right for you. It's your tree, to correct or change as you find out more information.

Generally the earlier birthplaces on census are more likely to be correct, as parents gave the information. Someone who remembers growing up in a place was not always born there.

Gwyn

Many of my ancestor's place of birth varies from one census to the next, albeit within the same area.

It could have came about because of the fact that many people could not read or write. The census form would be filled in on the doorstep by the enumerator who would ask,

"Where were you born?".

"Birtley"

"Where's that?"

"Near Gateshead"

Enumerator puts Gateshead on the form so two successive census have different places of birth for the same person.

Thanks,I`ll change my tree to the earlier places of birth.
Terry