TravelGenee #atozchallenge W - WYARD

TravelGenee #atozchallenge W – WYARD

At the beginning of 2015, I blogged the post “Accentuate the Positive 2014 Geneameme”. It is a blog post many geneabloggers do to review the year, that’s just been, in a positive light. I got the bug to do this from Jill Ball at Geniaus.

The first question asked about an elusive ancestor I had found in 2014. And here was my reply: “An elusive ancestor I found was Hannah Wyard, my 4th great grandmother. I have some sources and are planning to search for more to verify this further.”

So you see where we are heading here? Yes, the TravelGenee #atozchallenge W is for Hannah WYARD. And no as I have no updates to report since January 2015. I have not followed up on the research to verify her yet.

Let’s start with where does she fit into my tree?

Hannah WYARD is probably my 4th great grandmother born sometime in the 1700’s or 18th Century if you prefer that terminology. If she is the correct person, she is a direct ancestor tracing up the line from my maternal grandfather, Charles Collis DAWSON (DOB 1885).

Why haven’t I investigated her further?

Because others between Hannah and myself I have not sufficiently verified yet. I have heard from more practiced family historians that they have researched branches and then discovered an earlier assumption or fact that was not correct. They wasted time and effort. The advantage of going to family history conferences such as RootsTech in the USA or our Australian Congress is that you get to learn from others experiences. You can avoid mistakes.

It’s determination required not to add Hannah Wyard’s additional ancestors that appear in the many family trees online at Ancestry.

I have added her to my tree with the “index” sources as the basic proofs. Here is an example from the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 at Ancestry.¹

A final point is that there is much discussion online about people that have added to their tree by copying large chunks of Ancestry or other trees without doing their own verification. Some get quite irate about errors infecting trees as others copy and repeat the errors. Personally, I am taking the slow is the fast method. The numbers in my tree are small. It is not a contest. The one with the biggest tree does not win.

So enjoy your research. Relish finding elusive ancestors. Know that they are correct.

Source:

Ancestry: England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973, FHL Film Number 989616, Ref ID 73.

Found any elusive ancestors lately? Leave a comment, please.