Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Genealogy

Our tips for beginner genealogists (and not just!), to avoid wasting time and following false leads!

Some time ago, we shared with you our Top 5 Golden Rules in Genealogy, a valuable article for beginners in genealogy, but not only.

Knowing these golden rules is a good start, but there are still a few mistakes to avoid to ensure the reliability of your research, prevent unnecessary time loss as genealogy is time-consuming, and make sure this hobby remains a pleasure and not a dead end. 

1 - Blindly Trusting Data Found Online 

One of the first mistakes made by beginners is to blindly trust genealogical data found on family data sharing sites. While the search may seem simple and quick, the quality of the information sometimes leaves much to be desired.

Some genealogists share false information, intentionally (to avoid genealogy data theft, yes, it exists) or not (to err is human): incorrect dates, fabricated family ties or events, and other inconsistencies. You should only use these sites to find leads, clues to verify, always! Never copy information found (and never copy an entire branch or tree!) without verifying it in the Departmental Archives or other reliable archive databases. 

You risk a lot of troubles by not verifying these sources: you might trace an entire branch of ancestors that have no connection to your "real" ancestors. Distinguishing truth from false in the end is a real headache. 

If the information is good, finding the record will be easy since you have, for example, the town and date of the event. You can enter it in your tree and even indicate the source! 

If the information is false, you won't find the record in question or you might find a record about another family member. Do not consider this information as true, do not enter it in your tree until you have found documents or evidence to confirm it. 

2 - Not Taking Notes and Keeping Records

This mistake is, of course, related to one of our golden rules: take notes. 

Not taking notes has several disadvantages. First, it wastes time in your research when useful information has not been annotated in the records you spent time finding. But also, it may prevent you from unlocking a genealogical obstacle. 

Know that all the information noted in records and registers may be important one day. A date, a place, a name, a family tie, an occupation, and more, all these elements may be useful for deepening your research. 

Similarly, keep as many family documents as possible. When the time comes to sort them, it's hard to know what will really be interesting and useful. Better to prevent than to cure, we advise you to keep as much as possible, if not all. These documents will have value one day, both sentimental and genealogical, and if they don't interest you, they may interest another branch of your tree...

3 - Drawing Conclusions Without Proof

You haven't found the death record of your great uncle, no trace in the censuses, so you deduce the year of his death... Mistake! Your great uncle could have moved to end his life with one of his children, or he was working between two residences and was missed in the censuses... Several reasons can explain losing track of an ancestor in the archives. Don't deduce anything from it! 

Put yourself in the shoes of a detective, without proof, their work is worth nothing. This is how we see the genealogist: no proof, no conclusion. 

But it is true that some pieces of evidence are difficult to find: missing or destroyed registers, oversight, exceptional life path... In this case, try to cross-reference the available sources. Your ancestor may not appear in the censuses, but they may have attended the baptism or wedding of one of your relatives. Cross-referencing sources helps you focus on places, dates, events, thus increasing your chances of finding your ancestor. 

4 - Believing You Have a Family Tie with Someone Who Shares Your Last Name

To all those who always wanted to have a family tie with a celebrity or to those who see cousins in everyone who shares their surname... Genealogy is beautiful, but it doesn't work like that! To disappoint you, you may have no family tie with someone who shares your last name. 

But to be sure, only one thing to do: the cousin hunt. Trace the branches and leaves on both sides until you find a common ancestor or a family tie. But this won't be easy as it will often be complicated to trace back before the 16th century (unless noble origins). 

Also note that the spelling of surnames has evolved over time and with the pens of the clergy. Do not ignore these spelling changes, they are important for your research. 

And above all: no conclusions without proof and don't trust online data!

5 - Ignoring Other Family Members or Skipping a Generation

This may not be obvious to everyone, but it is more of a tip than a mistake to avoid: record information about other family members, not just your direct line. 

Why? Because the more information you have about a family, the easier it will be to find evidence (cross-referencing sources, for example). Also, because acts concerning siblings, children, a second marriage, etc., will likely help you unlock genealogical knots. 

Also, don't skip a generation at the first blockage, you risk missing important information. Skip a generation only if it allows you to quickly return to the blockage to resolve it. 

All this information will also help you imagine the life and family context of your ancestors, and as genealogists, we know how fascinating this is.