How do I access Ancestry.com links from the library?

Question

Richard Campe may be one of my ancestors, so I'd like to verify the sources on his page. They're all in Ancestry and I don't have an Ancestry account. So I went to the library to use their Ancestry account. Campe's profile lists Source and Repository numbers. I don't see a way of entering those into Ancestry. That profile also has a direct link for a Dickinson Family Tree. But when I type it into the library browser Ancestry asks for name and password, meaning I'm now outside the library service. What do I do?

Whatever solution you propose will have to wait until I next go back to the library -- their access to Ancestry can't be done from home.

Comments

I've not had any luck with these links, even when I am on Ancestry at the library.

Answer 1

As it happens, there's an article in the current issue (the issue came out about a week ago) of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGR) that presents new evidence about the family of Richard Campe and revises some of the formerly accepted genealogy. You won't find the article (entitled "Magdalen (Hall) Camp Was Not the Grandmother of William1 Curtis and Mary1 (Curtis) Ruggles of Roxbury, Massachusetts") at Ancestry.com, but it's available on AmericanAncestors.org (for members of the NEHGS).

I've not fully digested the article, but the key information is that there were two different contemporary men named Richard Camp(e), and "Mary (Camp) Curtis was not the daughter of Richard and Magdalen (Hall) Camp, but was rather the daughter of Richard Camp of Snowes and his wife Elizabeth."

It would be best not to attempt to refine this man's profile at the moment unless you have access to this new article.

PS - Mary (Camp) Curtis is also one of my direct ancestors.

Answer 2

I would speak with the librarian.  They may have you enter a password or enter it for you.  You would be working on the institutional account.

Comments

The library grants access to Ancestry by following a particular link from their website. No password needed. One gets access to the Library version of Ancestry. But the link I copied from Richard Campe wasn't to the Library version, so it asked for my password.

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Yes. when you sign into the Library computer using your membership number from your card and your pin, the "Library" header page gives you options on what you want to do. The one "Research Family History" (or similar) is the option to click and up comes Ancesrtry  ....  

If you don't get that option, see the Library staff to sort you out. (thats what I do)

Answer 3

I do subscribe to Ancestry.

The first link is to a private tree. The second and third links gave a "not available" error message. 

Here's a way of reformatting the tree links: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/477354/dead-ancestry-links But I tried it and still got a "Page not available" error message

They are just links to trees, and not to primary sources.

Comments

So those links should be deleted as no one other than the creator (or not even the creator) can use them?

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I would. Not only are they useless, they give the impression falsely that the profile is well-sourced and reliable.

Answer 4

Have you tried just searching Ancestry by the name Richard Campe, and then narrowing the search down with dates and place names as best you can?  Presumably you would get some hits, and if you know what specific information came from those Source and Repository listings, you may be able to deduce from those hits what actual source or data bases the person who created the private tree used.  Just a thought, no guarantee of success.

Comments

Worth a try. Alas, when I was at the library today I had the repository number and the link, but didn't have details on Richard Campe. It may be a while before I go back to the library.

Answer 5

To translate an ancestry.com link at the library is straightforward.  As an example, if the URL is:

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7602/4119892_00103

simply add 'library' before .com and it becomes:

https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/interactive/7602/4119892_00103

In a Family History Center, I believe that you use 'institution' instead so

https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/interactive/7602/4119892_00103

Most libraries also offer some Ancestry.com data at home via HeritageQuest.  The above link becomes:

https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/interactive/7602/4119892_00103

See this G2G post for more info about HeritageQuest.

Some libraries might use a different format via ProQuest, so if ancestrylibrary.com doesn't work, try ancestrylibrary.proquest.com

The above only works for sources/references, not for trees which are not part of Ancestry Library edition.  As others have noted, the links on that Wikitree page are essentially useless.  Updating the 'Dickinson Family Tree' link gives https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/24279608/person/1658322898/facts.  It just sources Ancestry Family Trees and the Millenium File, so nothing useful.

Answer 6

Paul, Ancestry.com has many more resources than Ancestry Library Edition.  The LE version provides access to commonly used resources such as census, vitals, etc. The .com version provides access to over 20,000 additional resources, which could be why you did not find the source on LE.  Also, like FamilySearch, these resources can be removed.

Answer 7

I have an ancestry All Access account and none of the links work for me. If that were an ancestor of mine, I would research real sources, and then delete the entire biography and start from scratch using the actual sources. That is a totally useless profile biography for other genealogists to use.

As for the acknowledgement section, since none of the sources are useful, I would be embarrassed to tell anybody this profile came from my Gedcom file (and I still have some similar poorly referenced profiles of my own out there due to Gedcom imports).