False Lines to Notables Project

Profile manager: Chase Ashley [send private message]

Mission Statement

The mission of the False Lines to Notables Project is to improve the quality of WikiTree by (1) identifying and researching highly questionable connections in lines of ancestry from North American "gateway" ancestors to notables, (2) disconnecting those connections where the evidence indicates that it is not reasonably likely that the connection is incorrect and (3) obtaining appropriate project-protection to prevent reconnection.

Project Scope

The Project covers lines of ancestry from any pre-1700 immigrant to North America (a "gateway" ancestor) and anyone whom you might consider a notable. It includes, but is not limited to, lines of ancestry to persons in the Notables project or royalty or aristocrats. In the case of lines of ancestry to European royalty or aristocracy, the project omits from its scope any gateway ancestors who have been confirmed as gateway ancestors to royalty by Douglas Richardson or Gary Boyd Roberts.

Methodology

Identify Questionable Connections

You may stumble upon a questionable connection between gateway ancestors and notables by happenstance or while researching an ancestor. However, there are two approaches to systematically finding such questionable connections.

Bottom Up Approach

If you are interesting in finding questionable connections between gateway ancestors and notables in your own ancestry or the ancestry for another specific person:

• Use Ancestor Explorer to generate a list of notable ancestors of you or another specific person in a particular category. For notable ancestors of a particular type, you can use either any of the categories in the drop-down list options box (such as European Monarchs or Notables) or use the Category Text option in the list options box and enter the name of any WikiTree category.
• For any particular ancestor in the resulting list, see all lines of ancestry to that ancestor by clicking on the "relationship" icon next to that ancestor's name in the list.
• For any line of ancestry, review the profiles in that line to find the gateway ancestor (i.e., the ancestor who was a pre-1700 ancestor who was an immigrant to North America).
• If the category of notables you are checking is royalty or aristocrats, see if the gateway ancestor is on the list of gateway ancestors to royalty confirmed by Douglas Richardson or the list of gateway ancestors to royalty confirmed by Gary Boyd Roberts. If they are, you can assume they are valid and not bother to investigate the lines of ancestry from them to the notables.
• To check for questionable connections in any line of ancestry from a gateway ancestor up to a notable, check each profile in the line up from that gateway ancestor to the notable to see if you can spot a highly questionable connection.

Top Down Approach

If you are interesting in finding questionable connections in the lines of descent from a particular notable to their gateway ancestors:

• Use WikiTree+ to get a list of all gateway ancestors who are descended from a particular notable by using a Search (not Suggestions) Text Search. To get a list of all persons in who were born in the 16th century who immigrated from one particular country to another particular country and who were descended from a particular notable, use a query in the following format: Descendants=Notable-123 BirthCountry="Name_of_Country_They_Emigrated_From" DeathCountry="Name_of_Country_They_Emigrated_To". To limit the resulting list to persons born in the 16th century, include 16Cen in the query (or 17Cen for ancestors born in the 17th century). To exclude from the list any ancestors that Douglas Richardson has confirmed are valid gateway ancestors, include NOT CategoryFull="Gateway_Ancestors" in the query. So, for example, to get a list of all descendants of King Edward III of England who were born in the 16th century and who immigrated from England to America and who are not confirmed by Richardson as gateway ancestors, you would use the following query: Descendants=Plantagenet-70 BirthCountry="England" DeathCountry="United States" 16Cen NOT CategoryFull="Gateway_Ancestors".
• To check for questionable connections in any line of ancestry from a particular gateway ancestor to the notable, check each profile in the line up from that gateway ancestor to the notable to see if you can spot a highly questionable connection.

Research Any Highly Questionable Connection

Research any facially questionable connection between a gateway ancestor and the notable by researching the individuals on both sides of the connection (i.e., parent and child, husband and wife) to determine what reliable evidence, if any, exists for or against the connection. Note that it is common for a line of descent or ancestry to have both a highly questionable connection between the notable or a descendant of the notable and a supposed child, and a highly questionable connection between a reasonably well-documented later person in the line and a supposed parent, with one or more made-up or out-of-place people in between. In that case, both connections with the "real" people should be researched.

Determine If the Evidence Indicates that It Is Not Reasonably Likely that the Connection Is Incorrect

Determine if the results of the research indicate that it is not reasonably likely that the connection is incorrect. In the absence of additional supporting evidence, consistency of names, dates and locations are only sufficient to support a connection if (a) there were probably no other persons with a consistent name, date and location such that it is more likely that one of them would be the proper connection and (b) there is no evidence suggesting that the connection is not reasonably likely. Significant differences in location or social status are evidence suggesting that it is not reasonably likely that the connection is incorrect and require additional evidence to justify the connection.

Present Research Results Suggesting Possible Deconnection

If your determination is that the evidence indicates that it is not reasonably likely that the connection is correct and that therefore the connection should should be disconnected, discuss the results of your research and you determination in comments to the appropriate profiles and in a G2G post. In the G2G post, tag the applicable geographic project and any applicable topical project so that those projects are aware of the post.

Disconnect Any Unlikely or Unsupported Connections

If no one provides a reasonable argument against disconnection within one week after you post the proposal, go ahead and disconnect the connection and add a discussion of the results of your research and your determination that it is not reasonably likely that the relationship was correct to the applicable profiles.

Obtain Appropriate Project Protection

If you disconnect two profiles, determine which profile(s) need to be project-protected to prevent a reconnection. In general, the profile of the "real" person whose line of ancestry or descent (as the case may be) is reasonably well-documented should be project-protected. If both sides of the connection are "real" people, it should only be necessary to project protect one of them - e.g., the more prominent one. If, on the other hand, a notable or a "real" descendant of a notable was connected to a "real" later person through one or more made-up or out-of-place people, both the profile of the notable (or "real" descendant of a notable) and the profile of the "real" later person should be project-protected.

For each profile that you determine should be project-protected, determine the geographic or other project that would be most appropriate to project-protect the profile, ask them to project protect the profile, and give the rationale for project protection - e.g., the evidence shows that it is not reasonably likely that the connection is correct and there is a high risk that, unless the profile is project-protected, someone will make the connection again (e.g., due to its prevalance in on-line genealogies).

Note: The form for requesting that a profile be project-protected by the England Project can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefSCF_XfsxHOz2MOs6x8wq-w07bF6EoGVjbwu03HEkLVhrMA/viewform?pli=1

Tracking Sheet

Any questionable connections in lines of ancestry from gateway ancestors to notables that are identified should be added to the Tracking Sheet for the False Lines to Notables Project. Any Project Member may work on any questionable connection listed on the Tracking Sheet if the Tracking Sheet does not show that another Project Member is already working on it.

Project Membership

The Project is open to every WikiTree member. Please note, however, that your ability to edit the profiles may be subject to other qualifications - e.g., Pre-1700 Certification or Pre-1500 Certification. To join the project, edit the Members section of this project page to add your name as a member and send your email address to Chase Ashley so that you get be giving permission to edit the Tracking Sheet.

Members

Chase Ashley
Brian Quesnell