Need help matching, merging and sorting multiple duplicate files

Question

I can't begin to resolve what appears to be multiple duplicate profiles w/ similar names. Father/son and nephews, many profiles w/ limited info etc I hate to add anything for fear of compounding an already bad situation. This pertains to Dalton-344, 8059, 1709, 1706, 586 thanks kevin

Answer 1

Need some links please.

Comments

Please explain, I am computer illiterate for the most part. Sorry

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dalton-344
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dalton-8059 goes to 344 Cannot see a ghost on attached profiles.

Not sure what the issue is with the rest --
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dalton-1709
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dalton-1706
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dalton-586

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Dalton -477 seems connected to the log jam

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Dalton-477 has duplicate children profiles. 2 brothers married 2 sisters- confusing at first glance. Brothers named their children after their brothers. After reading notes in a couple profiles, it starts making more sense. Cousins and uncles w/ identical names. Cousins w/ same maternal and paternal grandparents. There are questions noted where two profile belong,,Thanks for looking--kevin

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Just giving these profiles a quick look, they do not appear to have many good sources. They also need some clean-up for readability. Then it will be easier to see the interrelationships.

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I think files become conflated at Dalton-475 and 477. I am in over my head. I started a month ago doing the Smith tree back to my 3x great grandpa by FAG and family records. Now i am 2-300 years back on several family lines and don't know how to fix existing problems and don't want to compound them

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I've started with Benjamin Dalton (Dalton-586). I found a book online and am verifying with Ancestry sources. I like untangling conflated profiles (I know, I am weird). I also think these profiles are important because they are connected to notable people. We all know how Americans like to be connected to outlaws from the Wild, Wild West! Benjamin was the grandfather of the Dalton Brothers (or Gang). There is some confusion because of the use of the suffix "Jr." Many people think it represents "son," but it does not. It could be used to differentiate between grandfather/grandson or uncle/nephew. I have also seen it used with unrelated people, just one was older than the other.

I'll continue working tomorrow on it.

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You're not that weird, Lucy.  I like doing the same thing - because accuracy is important, and mixed lines, or wrong parents, siblings, or children, just aren't accurate!

Thanks for tackling this one.  It is quite beyond me, with my lack of familiarity with this much Americana.  (I manage on the straightforward stuff, like my grand-aunt's family, but tangles get just a wee bit too scary.   Give me my English Smith family any time!)

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Let me start w/ Thank YOU!!  Ben had a brother named Henry and a son named Henry, also he had a brother named James Lewis and a son named James Lewis. Ben's father is James and his profile, I believe is conflated. Years have passed since merges were recommended. Ben's brother Sam Michael is my 3x grandfather confirming my mother's belief we were related to the "gang", stories I questioned as a kid. I am not a historian, nor genealogist.  About a month ago, my involvement w/ wikitree was meant to be casual. But every addition to my immediate tree led to the next, and the next till I got to this and became overwhelmed. I know little about research and less about documenting/sourcing what I do know. Without the Wikitree Community, I would have stopped at the migration west from Kentucky on the Smith side. Thanks again for what YOU do and everyone else like you.

Answer 2

Hi Kevin.  If you still need some help re merges let me know.  Perhaps I can provide some Mentor Assist here.  I have worked on a number of "Family" type profiles to help in sorting out tangles and co-mingled profiles.

I took the liberty of adding sources (Dalton-344) and clean up under  the "Draft" status for your review.    If you are in agreement merely "Save" the draft as "Final Source Copy" and revise as needed from there.  Let me know which specific profile(s) you are having a problem with and we can go forward from there.

Comments

Hey Sandy, thanks for your generosity. Under Mentor Assist, I will send you a private E mail and explain my situation and a family challenge if that's OK  Thanks kevin