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Magna Carta Project Policy and Procedures

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Contents

Policy

Checklist

The Magna Carta Project Checklist sets out things that need to be taken into account when bringing profiles up to Project standards.

Use of Richardson

Magna Carta Ancestry and Royal Ancestry by Douglas Richardson are the foundational sources for the Magna Carta Project. Use of Richardson makes the project "doable" - developing WikiTree profiles in trails to a surety baron from the 240 Richardson-documented Gateway Ancestors listed in the front matter of Magna Carta Ancestry is an attainable goal, though one that is daunting and time-consuming.

Richardson's sources

Richardson lists sources, but does not tie them to particular facts. Every effort should be made to check his sources, and it will usually be appropriate to cite at least some of them.

Research should not be confined to sources Richardson has identified. Other sources should be looked for. Quite often they can provide interesting information to add to the biography.

Conflicts and Errors

Richardson's conclusions are not all universally accepted by researchers; some of his conclusions have been overtaken by subsequent research; and, like everyone, he makes some errors.

Where there is a conflict between Richardson and other reliable sources regarding the facts on a profile, we follow Richardson, unless there is more recent well-sourced research that adds to or corrects his work, or unless he can be shown to have made a mistake. Such conflicts should be mentioned either in the main biography or in research notes. In particular, if we do not follow Richardson, an explanation should be given.

Attention should be drawn to any minor slips made by Richardson.

Uncertain and Disproved Trails

There are several trails shown by Richardson which the project regards as uncertain or disproved, with the project withdrawing from management of profiles in them, including management of one or two Gateways listed by Richardson.

If evidence is found which casts doubt on a Richardson-documented trail, the project leaders welcome being told.

Dates

Sometimes Richardson gives a calendar year for a date which is really a regnal or double-dated year that straddles two calendar years by our reckoning today, and the year he gives is the first of those years. Endeavour to check whether the year should really be the second. Remember that a regnal year may start late in the calendar year.

Where Richardson gives dates for birth, marriage or death, try to find the basis for them, whether they are precise dates or "before" or "after" dates, and, if you succeed, cite relevant sources. These may include:

  • Inquisitions Post Mortem (but remember ages of heirs are not always exact or accurate) and dates of writs for IPMs
  • Orders to escheators to take possession of lands following a death
  • Charters and deeds
  • Marriage settlements
  • Dates relating to wills

Multiple Trails from Gateways

Many Gateways have multiple trails to Surety Barons. The project is not aiming to develop every trail they have. Its main aim is to work up one trail from each Gateway to one Surety Baron.

Non-Richardson Gateway Ancestors

The scope of the Magna Carta Project runs from Richardson-documented Gateway Ancestor to Surety Baron (see Category:Gateway Ancestors and Category:Surety Barons).

Currently, if you have an immigrant ancestor you would like to see included in the Project, you'll want to develop the WikiTree profiles from your immigrant ancestor to a Surety Baron, to include primary source citations for the parent/child relationships in the trail. Be prepared to be disappointed, however, as many trails are false and cannot be documented. If you get stuck on something for a particular profile, you can post to G2G from that profile seeking assistance and/or guidance.

Many WikiTree members who are working on trails outside the project's scope are members of the Google Group. This allows them to help the project keep an eye on project-managed and -monitored profiles and also participate in project discussions.

Please note that the Project will not want to recognise people as additional Gateway Ancestors if they left no descendants. (By definition, a Gateway Ancestor has to be ancestor of someone.)

When to select "Confident"

There are no default settings for status indicators, so when a profile is created, the relationship status is left blank ("Unknown"). If no status has been selected, do not select Confident unless the profile cites a primary or original source.

Changing Relationships

Changing a relationship is considered a major change, which requires collaboration and communication according to WikiTree's guidelines:

If a profile is Project-protected, you will normally need help from a project leader to make any changes to immediate relationships.

Parent/child Relationships

Richardson aims to list all children named in sources he has looked at. For children not in trails, he relies quite heavily on Visitations, acknowledging that their lists of children are not always accurate or comprehensive. Other children may be mentioned in, for instance, wills.

Changing parent/child relationship in a Magna Carta trail

Before changing a parent/child relationship in a Magna Carta trail from that given in Richardson's Royal Ancestry (often the same as in Magna Carta Ancestry, but the relationship should be checked in the latter work before proceeding), the project requires consensus and clear primary sources:

  • Consensus among researchers.
  • An opportunity for the profile managers and other relevant projects to have input.
  • Primary sources that clearly show the parent/child relationship being proposed.

A Research Note should be added to the profile with sources, evidence, and reasoning if

  • the parents are changed from those shown by Richardson or
  • some reliable sources give a different parent/child relationship or
  • the relationship is clearly uncertain.
Changing parent/child relationship when the child is not in the trail

If you wish to attach a child to a badged profile, you can proceed if the child is listed by Richardson. If not, first contact the project by posting to the badged profile your intent and reasoning.

Generally, a child not included in Richardson would be detached unless the evidence for the child meets project standards.

  • Post a comment on the profiles of parents and child. Think about whether it would be helpful also to ask a question in G2G. If there is no response within 3 or 4 days, then in the most clearcut cases (eg where there is no source or there is firm evidence the relationship is wrong) detach the child but add a research note to the profiles of parents and child explaining what you have done and why. The research note makes it easy to reattach the child if good evidence subsequently emerges.
    • If the relationship is incontrovertibly absurd, there is normally no need for a research note - a comment on the profile is enough. Examples which are sometimes seen include where a child was clearly born decades after the parents died. Instances like this are usually the result of past GEDCOM imports.
    • Where there is room for more debate, it may be preferable to allow a bit longer for responses, and the research note on the relevant profiles should mention any significant sources that give the relationship.
    • If in doubt, consult a project or team leader, post in the project Google Group, and/or ask a question in G2G.

Project and team leaders will be happy to give more advice. Be aware that other profile managers may sometimes have strong feelings about long-cherished but very dubious relationships.

DNA

DNA confirmations can be quite confusing. All such confirmations should be compliant with Wikitree DNA confirmation guidelines at Help:Confirmed with DNA. More specific to this Project:

  • In most cases only the source citation format placed at the end of the Sources section should be used
  • If necessary, a small amount of explanatory text in a === DNA === sub-section may be added.
  • If the DNA evidence needs a more complex explanation, a Free Space Page should be created and a link provided in the DNA sub-section.
  • Keep the DNA discussion directly in the profile to a minimum in order to not discourage those who are unfamiliar with it.

The Scotland Project has helpfully developed some more detailed guidance, and Magna Carta Project members are asked to follow it. The guidance can be found here.






Collaboration


Comments: 3

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I would gently suggest moving the "More about Richardson" section to the FSP on his books, and put a link to it on this page. Also, the link to "Joe Cochoit" actually goes to his father, Jules.
posted by Gregory Cooke
Thanks for spottting the wrong link. When I have time and energy, I propose to incorporate the main points from the "more about Richardson" section into a revised opening part of this page about use of Richardson.
posted by Michael Cayley
edited by Michael Cayley
Having been prompted to think about this, I have now revised the page. It is one of my problem characteristics that if a suggestion leads me to start a little thinking about something, my undisciplined brain often makes it difficult to defer fuller consideration of it.
posted by Michael Cayley