Merge tags

[jgw321@gmail.com 0]

I have several birth tags with different dates (caused by importing a Gedcom from Ancestry) on many of my records. UK census records often have different years for estimated birth year, which has resulted in 3 or 4 birth tags on some of my records. Since Ancestry has provided very good sources, I want to combine the tags in to one tag, but merging all the citations. Something similar to the merge two people, with the left and right panes. Is there an easy way to do this or will I need to use a wet towel round my head and tackle it with John's TMG utility?

 

JG

[GenerationGoneBy 0]

JG,

 

As far as I know the way to do this is to open one tag, add the data, and then delete the others. One way to make this easier might be to have two copies of TMG open at the same time. You would edit in one copy but be able to see what Tags need to be merged on the other one. If the dates are different, I personally would keep all the tags until I had proof as to which was the MOST correct, then I would combine them with the source CD explaining what conclusion that source contributed. That is the beauty of TMG is that you can have multiple birth tags (only one primary) and you can analyze the data to see which is most accurate.

[retsof 0]

In situations like that, I tend to keep BOTH birth tags, with the best one as primary with *. Each will have its own citation references. Otherwise, that other one would keep popping up in the future, and I would have to reanalyze it and disprove it again. Memo fields are also great for short annotations. I also keep separate birth tags if one has places and one does not, or one has a year and one has an estimated year.

 

(or whatever tag)

 

Why? Somebody else might start with that ancestry.com generic estimate, and add their own info on other persons, instead of using the best year that YOU have. The different years are a clue for your own searches as to what else is out there.

 

On the other hand, I have seen some WFT (World Family Tree) entries that were so rough that the estimated range was over 50 years. In that case, the estimated tag could probably go away if a better one appears.

Edited December 11, 2007 by retsof

[jgw321@gmail.com 0]

keep BOTH birth tags

 

Thanks both. In some of my cases I have a fairly certain exact date from a certificate so wanted to combine all the (lengthy) source references on to the "correct" tag. I hadn't thought of the other benefits of keeping the extra tags. So now I'll leave them as they are.

 

JG