Biography Builders Feb/Mar 2018. Have a Big Heart.

+14 votes
791 views

Have a Big Heart. Adopt an orphan (at least for a little while), write them a biography. Make Wikitree a better place. Challenge runs from now through March 15.

Biography Builders Goal: To make profiles as complete as possible with well-written biographies and sources. You should research as much as you can find on a person, writing the information onto the profiles to create as complete a life story as you can for that person. Sourcing should be full citations. This includes adding categories and links to events and people connected to that profile and citing all those additions. See the first month for examples of how to participate.

Here's our checklist:

Data Section.

  • birth date/place
  • names of parents
  • marriage date/place and spouse name
  • death date/place

Biography Section:

  • Written (full) sentences stating the facts above, adding inline sources to each fact.
  • Is the profile '''Genealogically Defined?'''
  • As a general rule biographies should be in your own words. Paraphrase and rewrite, don't copy/paste.
  • Baptism, burial, military, and other life events with inline sources.
  • Something to "humanize" the person, such as career or avocation with sources.
  • List of children with at least one pertinent fact.
  • One of the suggestions was siblings. I think this takes up real estate.
  • Explanatory remarks, if needed (e.g. disputed persons information, Research Notes, whatever needs extra explaining).
  • Photos or pictures, background. Not a must, but nice (you need to own the copyright unless they are in the public domain).
  • Categories/Projects.
  • Connection to the Global Tree.
  • All duplicates merged or initiated.
  • Links to persons and events, perhaps from Wikipedia.
  • Historical context as related to the person's life.
  • Sources, Sources, Sources.

You can see some ideas on where to find some of this information on the Biography Builders space page, linked below.

Use "comments" below to ask questions.

NOTE: Biography Builders will not show on the tracker. Please add a list to your answer.

WikiTree profile: Space:Biography_Builders
in Requests for Project Volunteers by Anne B G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
Sorry I'm late today. I'd like to say I was on the beach in Bermuda, but the reality is I'm coughing my head off right here. It's a good thing Star made this suggestion a few days ago, I really can't think very straight.
Get well soon, Anne. It seems to be going around.
So sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Anne.So many people are getting sick this winter!  Just keep imagining yourself lying on that beach in Bermuda, sipping your favorite cool drink, and reading a great book, and you'll feel better soon - at least mentally!

Hi Guys

A question or rather a suggestion.

The google sheet to show who has done how many in each challenge is left to right.  This means it is getting ever longer

I have a sheet I set this up so that each new Event/Challenge is added at the left it is a lot easier for folks to see or in my case add too as everything just moves left and the newest Event/Challenge is right there when you open the sheet to view. 

Biography Builders Total Comments Feb/March18 Orphans Jan/Feb18 Occupation Dec/Jan17 GivenName C
JW 33       33
JS 0        
IO 0        
LC 0        
JR 0        
DS 0        
AB 5       5
GL 0        
RH 5       5
RD 3       3
CG 8       8
MW 7       7
AD 6       6
Hmmm... intriguing idea. Do you have one set up some where, for something, so I could play with it a little.
Hi Ann

 

I have one will send you a link to it

Janet
Does adding family members and doing biographies count?
Where can I find orphaned profiles?
Top right of the page; 'Find' drop-down menu; it's about the fifth one down.
That looks great! I always forget to look at the tracking sheet. I think I'm going to do well this months as I'm working my way through one huge family!
Ros, thank you for answering Amanda's question

Karen, for this month, candidates must come from the orphaned profiles. If they are family members, great.
Thanks Anne xxx
Do you mind sending me a link to your spreadsheet? Thanks!
Sure Kimberley

Drop me a private message with an email and I will send you an invite to view the example.

Janet

15 Answers

+9 votes
 
Best answer
This should be a fun one! I may look for some New Zealand/Uk ones as i've been introduced to the wonderful Newzaland newspaper site Past Papers.
by Michelle Wilkes G2G6 Pilot (168k points)
selected by Anne B

OK..my first attempt (out of my normal UK comfort zone here!) Mary Ann CURNICK Curnick-32

I believe her mother probably died just before, or on the voyage to Australia - I think I have her father migrating in 1862, but I can't find any trace of the family in 1861. I also can't find a record of her mother dying in Australia (I think her father re-marries in 1862). 

Oh..and now I've realised that all the Ancestry trees have "click bait added" the wrong families to her parents, I've had to create correct ancestor profiles for her!

Just discovered Curnick-1 -  James Curnick, father of Mary Ann Curnick (unconnected to daughter but connected to the wrong wife that I'd seen on Ancestry) so will merge and tidy

This was an interesting one. I had already sourced his father at some point in the past (probably during a Saturday sourcing Sprint) 

Solly-389 Edward Solly - quite a character it would seem. On researching Edward, I have found more to add to his father's profile!

Couldn't help myself...I have now adopted the whole family! Hopefully I can find a connection to the main tree that way!

Solly-56 Jane Minter Solly

Solly-6 Eliza Solly

Solly-53 Kate Solly

Solly-106 Sarah Ann Solly

Sandwell-2 John William Sandwell

Sandwell-1 Charles Danton Sandwell - tabulated census data - already sourced as much as possible previously

Selmes-19 Added birth, baptism, parent's names, emigration, death year/place, categories. (added profile for father and mother)

Sadd-8 James Barton Sadd

Cousins-511 Ruth Cousins

Hutchinson-5488 Previously an "unknown" -sourced LNAB, birth, marriage, census 1939 register, death & burial.

I was extremely busy yesterday adopting a poor abandoned unsourced family and working on them for the Saturday Sourcing Sprint...and today I'm going back to "finish them off" before I release them back into the wilderness.

Bee-434 released

Bee-433 released

Bee-432 released

Blake-1780 Genealogically defined and released

Heath-2156 Genealogically defined and released

Holloway-1278 Genealogically defined and released

Holloway-1233 genealogically defined and released

Holloway-1279 genealogically defined and released

Topliffe-9 corrected LNAB - identified and created profile for mother - genealogically defined and released

Kentish-119 genealogically defined and released

Kentish-118 genealogically defined and released

Kentish-111 genealogically defined and released

Birchmore-5

Kentish-110

Kentish-112 genealogically defined and released

Kentish-113 genealogically defined and released

Kentish-114 genealogically defined and released

Johns-3825 genealogically defined and released

Kentish-116 finished - genealogically defined and released

Kentish-121 Done as much as I can on this one so will release it

Philpot-438 genealogically defined

Thank you Michelle you did the most profiles this month 33.
+8 votes

In again for some Biography Building, even if just a couple. Dabbling with Orphans usually opens the door to unexpected detours.

So sorry you are ailing Anne - hope you have not connected with the dreaded flu,

Jumped into a rabbit hole when I adopted Marion Roach. He came with a twig of 13 unconnected, unsourced, orphans, so will be working on this whole family. Step one, they all are now connected and sources are being found.  Also adding profiles for missing family members. Will include here, the ones that I can find enough info to write a biography.

  1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roach-1287  Marion Thomas Roach - connected, sources found and biography added
  2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Paulsell-7  Susannah  Paulsell (wife of Marion Roach) Sources and biography added
by Patricia Roche G2G6 Pilot (780k points)
edited by Patricia Roche
Thank you Pat, I have the feeling there's a joke in here somewhere about Roaches, but I suspect you've heard them already.
+10 votes

This one is close to my heart.  I run the Orphaned Profiles Team for the England Project: this is for people to learn to research within England (some of the sources are rather different) and they work on orphaned profiles so nobody gets upset. 

Biographies are part of what they learn! so I'd better practise some, too!

1.   Joseph Haywood (1833-1904)
2.   Florence Nightingale (Stanton) Maidlow (1856-1930) At her marriage, she was 23 and he was 50.  The FMP transcriber was so shocked, he put the husband down as 500,000 years old!
3.   Rose Fanny Ball (b 1878)
4.   John Avery (1838-1898)
5.   Margaret (Hopson) Clarke (1820-1876)

by Ros Haywood G2G Astronaut (1.9m points)
edited by Ros Haywood
What an excellent teaching idea, Ros!
I agree with Star great teaching idea. Thank you.
+8 votes
I'm in again. Will be looking in England. Probably Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Linclonshire. I might look for family names that I am researching. Might find someone interesting.

1. Sarah Whittaker https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Whittaker-2246
2. Charles Ransom https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ransome-7
3. Daniel Link https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Link-26
4. Robert Oxborrow https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oxborrow-1
5. Isaac Keeling https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeling-95
6. Isaac Keeling https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeling-93
7. Dorothy (Leam) Keeling https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Leam-3
8. Elizabeth (Keeling) Whawell https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeling-94
9. Charles Whawell https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Whawell-1
10. Thomas Keeling https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeling-96
11. Phillis (Keeling) Hopkinson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeling-97
by Joan Whitaker G2G6 Pilot (169k points)
edited by Joan Whitaker
Thank you Joan. What an interesting surname "Oxborrow" Wonder if it started out as Oxbarrow or Oxboro or some other variation, or if the progenitor actually borrowed an ox.
I have no idea where the name came from. I found it quite hard to find profiles that I wanted to work on this month. When I found one they did not have to seem family members that I could continue to work on, and I would rather do a whole family than just one individual.
+9 votes

Wouldn't you know it, I just adopted several profiles yesterday, before this challenge was announced. Is it OK if I work on them for this challenge?

Here are the profiles completed so far this challenge:

  1. Joseph Hebert-2929 - This one led to 7 duplicate profiles for which I've submitted merge proposals.
  2. Anne Saulnier-260
  3. Marie Josephe Picard-261 
  4. Anne Dugas-516
  5. Joseph Landry-2232
  6. Marguerite Landry-2233
  7. Unknown Rivet-340
  8. Ursin Bijeau-3
  9. Azema (Bijeau-2) Patin
  10. Edmond Valsin Patin-80
  11. Marcel Patin-31 - Also added profile for his first wife, which led to some merge proposals.
  12. Celeste Cormier-1277
  13. Marguerite Brasseu-1
  14. Joseph Poyer-51 dit Lapintade
  15. Pierre Henry dit Robert - Needed to be merged, which led to many duplicate children that need to be merged.
  16. Marie-Madeleine Blanchet-155
I would've done two more, Jeanne Doucet-557 and Marguerite Victorie (Richard) Thibodeaux, but they needed mergers so I'm waiting for those to be approved first.
by Joyce Rivette G2G6 Pilot (178k points)
edited by Joyce Rivette
Oh we can be a little flexible
Thanks Anne!
Love it when we find dups along the way and get rid of them. thank you Joyce.
+9 votes

I'm in for another month. Does Orphan Annie have a profile on WT?

1. John Abbott - DEFINED

by Bob Keniston G2G6 Pilot (260k points)
edited by Bob Keniston
+7 votes
I am in for trying some.
by Living Barnett G2G6 Pilot (500k points)
+6 votes

Hi

I am in working on a couple already Okay double checked to see who were orphans so list amended accordingly so 10 orphans and 11 non orphans. Formating went to pot on import...

 

Orphans

  1. Maria Job - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Job-4   
  2. ·Thomas Cyrus Haslett - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Haslett-15

  3. Henrietta Haslett - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Haslett-19

  4. Hester Haslett - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Haslett-20

  5.  Thomas Haslett - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Haslett-17

  6. william Henry Haslett - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Haslett-18

  7. Mary (Stratton) Haslett -  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stratton-345

  8. George Milford - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Milford-166
  9. Annie Milford - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Milford-167
  10. Michael George Milford - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Milford-168
  11. Rosalie Chamberland [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chamberland-45 Chamberland-45] - improved but unable to verify source

The following are not orphans but are 1800 profiles

  1. ·William Redhead - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Redhead-141 

  2. Sarah Pallas - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pallas-34 
  3. Muriel Doreen Bancroft - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bancroft-338
  4. Isaac William Hart - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hart-5404
  5. Mary Hitchcock Bird - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bird-6356
  6. Matilda Chapman - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chapman-7288
  7. Alfred Chapman - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chapman-7255
  8. Matilda Wood - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wood-14680
  9. John Lockwood - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lockwood-1489
  10. John Lockwood - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lockwood-1613
  11.  Elisabeth (Wallis) Lockwood - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wallis-1162
by Janet Wild G2G6 Pilot (329k points)
edited by Janet Wild
Thanks Janet, nice that you went to the trouble of creating a table for the census date. I always have to look tables up to create them, so they are a rare thing in my repertoire.
Ah Janet, you're new - glad to have you bio building. And ... you reached ten in your first month. You may add {{Biography Builders 10}} to your profile.
+7 votes

Do the adopted profiles need to be genealogically defined and connected to the wiki-tree to count? Or are those just goals to aim for if possible?

I'm going to go back to the one I've been working on to see if I can get him "connected"

 

by Michelle Wilkes G2G6 Pilot (168k points)
The "list" are suggested  items, they are all optional. So they don't have to be defined or conected, they just need a biography, as complete as you can make it with available data
+6 votes
by Connie Graves G2G6 Mach 5 (58.2k points)
edited by Connie Graves
MIghty fine profile https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Meadows-28 and you reached 200 profiles congratulations
Thanks for the kind words and whoo wee ---that red plume inkpot sticker looks super!
+5 votes

Let's see who I can find!  I used Emma MacBeath's tip for finding Unknowns and selected a family name, though I know of no connection (yet).

  1. James Eva - Added bio with in-line sources for all facts, added links to wife and all eleven children (created new profiles for some).
by Star Kline G2G6 Pilot (715k points)
edited by Star Kline
Thank you Star
+5 votes

Awesome!  After doing a surname search, there is a link that shows which ones are orphaned.  Never knew that!  I have two on my list for now. Will link when completed.

  1. Mary Louise VanOrden-2 -- added her parents profiles, added census and marriage records, added her children to the bio, added bio., added categories, corrected the vital info for her children and added sources to all her close family
  2. Henry Van Orden-117
by Emma MacBeath G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
edited by Emma MacBeath
Thank you for sharing that. I did not know their was a link either. That's really useful.
Thanks for the tip, Emma!
Nice job rounding Mary Louise out.
+6 votes
Joseph Thomas Gile https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gile-694

Frank S Gile https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gile-1062

there's supposed to be a connection, its keeping me quiet
by Valerie Willis G2G6 Pilot (114k points)
edited by Valerie Willis
How sad, thank you.
+6 votes

Found some to work on: 

Completed: 

1,2. Vesta Vail and Green Franklin Rigdon - the Vail and Rigdon trees are well-sourced and even have photos if anyone else has a strong interest in Louisiana. 

3,4,5,6,7,8. Eugene Ludwig, Helene Ludwig Penxa and her husband Joseph, Iolanthe Vandermark Ludwig, Joshua Ludwig, Janice Ludwig Davies

9. Elizabeth Knapp Vandermark

10. Alpha Mary "Faye" Dunker

11, 12. Rachel Burgess Olley and George Olley

by Amanda Dunker G2G6 Mach 1 (14.6k points)
edited by Amanda Dunker
Nice job Amanda, Thank you

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