Ancestry's Thrulines: How to Use it for Your Family History

[@kathleenkelley1299]

Wonderful explanation and example of how to use ThruLines

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@GenealogyTV]

I can't wait for you all to see next Friday's episode with Ancesty's Crista Cowan. She explains more about how ThruLines is built. It's available now for all channel members and Happy Dance Patrons on Patreon.

[@carter6018]

Are you related to John Knox the Scottish reformer? Specifically, through the line of John Knox brother named William Knox a merchant in Preston.

[@supernova34565]

I'm having problems finding the handout.

[@Sunjoy1]

I like what you said at the end... don't get upset about the inconsistency of OTHER trees... A lot of people get really upset about some on ancestry that just click and add anything that comes up...We are only responsible for OUR work ☺️ Thanks as always for your time and leading us in the right direction

[@GenealogyTV]

Thank you Scrapping FLA.

[@lindarowntree2146]

That is because ThruLines actually obscures real ancestors when several people use them incorrectly. I could name the Queen of England as my aunt and ask several relatives to do the same, and suddenly the ThruLine would point others the same direction.

[@hemichallenger3643]

There are SO MANY tools to use. I for one tend to forget about Thrulines. Because of the errors in trees. I have had a great time working on cousin matches. I figure out where they fit in and then populate every person possible from the shared ancestor down. Even going to Facebook to grab their kids and then their kids, kids. And Within the last few years, I try to put a photo of every person. A game within the game I guess. Because honestly, sometimes the monotony of searching grows old. So moving over and doing cousin matches breaks some of the research up and adds spice back into it. Spending the money to get both my parents to submit DNA also added a lot of help. Since they're both in their 80's, I appreciate the videos stressing the benefits of doing so. So I thank you for that.

[@JEREMY99218]

With ThruLines I was able to confirm my guesses about the identities of my 3x and 4x g-gparents where there were few records, conflicting records, and multiple common names with non-relatives.

[@caseyzahn3226]

Love it! Thank you for stressing to folks to examine the records. If more people would research, and not copy and paste, we may just find the answers we are seeking.

[@GenealogyTV]

Well said!

[@ridif]

Clearest explanation and amazing graphics .. as always ! Thanks Connie.

[@GenealogyTV]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[@cadoo5591]

Wow, this gives me a whole new way to look at things. I know thru lines has been around for a while but I never knew how to use it. Thanks Connie!

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@949sherry9]

Thru lines is a good "guide", it is not absolute. It's simply matching other trees to yours. If someone else, who happens to be one of your DNA matches, puts incorrect people in their tree, it may suggest that you do the same. Always do your due diligence and make sure the information is correct and based on sources. I see a lot of people just follow blindly, add all the folks from Thru Lines, and then you have several of your matches with the incorrect people in their tree. :-)

[@MarkJT1000]

Exactly. And therein lies the problem with Thrulines. Too many people copy in those "suggestions" blindly multiplying the numbers with those incorrect relationships. The fact that there are then so many more trees with those relationships moves them to the top of Ancestry's list of suggestions, thereby propagating further the number of wrong trees. When presented with dozens of trees, which all say the same thing, its hard not to believe they are true.

[@Davidwtaylor1]

I don’t disagree with your assessment above. One question I don’t get though, is how ‘false copy/paste’ thru-lines generates segment and centimorgan matching. In other words, lets say my 4G grandfarher is Fred, and fred has 1 child my 3G. But thrulines false copy-paste trees have Fred having 4 other children (not really his). I would expect false siblings would have ZERO matches, no segments no centimorgans. In my mind, the presense of segment and centimorgan matches should be confirming dna relationship, or denying it if trees are invalid. Make sense?

[@949sherry9]

@@Davidwtaylor1I believe thru lines only compares your tree information, to the tree information of your matches, to locate a common ancestor. If it can, it can make suggestions to fill in the gaps from tree information, of the trees of your matches. They may have gone further in their tree than you have, or that have added people that you haven't yet. They are only suggestions, because the other trees can be incorrect. It tells you which of your matches also has the same information in their tree as you do. I don't believe that thru lines matches up the centimorgans to make sure it's correct, we have to do that. It will tell you the number of centimorgans of your matches, the same information as your DNA matches page. I actually love thru lines, once you get how it works, you can really make it work for you. PS. I believe on Friday, Crista Cowan (From Ancesty.com) will be here on Genealogy TV, and I am sure she will go over all of this. She is amazing. :-)

[@GenealogyTV]

Amen

[@letlovereign]

Video was just on time! Thank you!!!

[@GenealogyTV]

Perfect!

[@rwssinor]

Excellent overview and explanation … thank you.

[@GenealogyTV]

You are welcome!

[@cefcat5733]

Glad to know that this info is available when I get to that point of knowledge in this area. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jackiethomas249]

Thanks.I needed this explanation.

[@GenealogyTV]

You're welcome!

[@matttolmanaz]

Great video. It is important that people understand thrulines. So many I've talked with and try to help think that it must be true because Ancestry says it is. I remind them they need to verify and do their own research to make sure it matches up.

[@GenealogyTV]

Well said!

[@carolinewindham2916]

As always, love your videos. One comment. You said a few times that the Thurline profiles with the dashes around them are not in your tree. Could be a true statement.. However, they may actually already be in your tree, just not ATTACHED to that lineage. Sometimes they are already attached to the lineage, but due to dates or location or spouses, etc. Ancestry doesn't recognize them as the same person. These are 2 other options I find for profiles with dashes in Thrulines.

[@GenealogyTV]

Great point! Also, for those who may have mistakenly added a second person by the same name, might throw things off too.

[@mamabear52]

Thank you, I didn't know I could add to my tree from within Truelines, or if I knew, I forgot. One thing at the end of your video you stated those matches were not connected to this family and based on how you determined Ada to have solid documentation, I get it, however, my ancestors were enslaved and even if they happen to be on a will, there will not be a paper trail for them. Years ago I made my best guess based on triangulating my DNA matches to each other, from that Truelines has identified 50 individuals, and I have identified many more without trees, or limited trees through my research. I was hoping you could speak on those who were not born in situations where there would ever be documentation, NPEs generations back, adoptions, enslavement, etc. Anyone on our Truelines has a genetic connection to us, and yes, I have seen even on my own Truelines where they went down the wrong path based on multiple people having an ancestor in their tree. I am partly responsible for some of the errors because while I was making my best guess years ago, along the way I corrected my mistake but the horse was out of the barn as I never expected Ancestry to rely on our trees so much as evidence for others. It was MY tree, not evidence of anything

[@bolexus2928]

I didnt know you could add people from Thrulines either. Mind-Blown. I never paid any attention to the dotted lines either. My people were also enslaved (but were mullatto) and thanks to Thrulines, I have now been able to connect the fathers and owing families. I should also mention that African Americans have a tougher time with trees UNTIL they connect to their well documented white cousins :) Be Blessed!

[@GenealogyTV]

Two videos I suggest Researching Persons of Color: African American Genealogy kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIWlnKN7gcR1oM0 Freedmen Bureau - African American & Poor Whites - Post Civil War kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXK3n5aJatuBgrs

[@bolexus2928]

@@GenealogyTV thank you! I’ll check them out

[@fishinwidow35]

I look at thru-lines a lot and have found some 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins. We have been able to verify the relationships. We all have the same brick walls also. One thing I dislike is there have been several people who have added a particular couple to their trees and I know it's incorrect and every time I look, more people have added this couple to their tree. I wish ancestry would quit suggesting this couple in hints too.

[@lindarowntree2146]

I SO AGREE! Ancestry has developed a nice tool, but they RUIN it by continually suggesting people who are WRONG. I also cannot find the correct people for all the "hint" that have absolutely NO sources attached, and are clearly wrong. My 3 great grandfather, JESSE J. MONTGOMERY’s parents, and therefore his siblings, are not known, which is where the problem begins! People are looking for a JESSE MONTGOMERY born in 1807 and find JESSE H., who was born in 1807 in North Carolina and died about 1861 in Wright County, Missouri. JESSE H’s father was John M. Montgomery, who married Sarah "Sallie" Jane Moore. They both died in Lawrence, Tennessee. JESSE H’s siblings are Jacob, Talitha Jane, Easter Ann, John, William, Robert, Elle, Jefferson, and Nancy. Two or three of his brothers - John and Robert for sure - came to Texas, and died there, but all the others lived and died in Missouri. JESSE H. married Nancy Harrison (1817 - 1880) and she is buried right beside him. Their children were William, Melinda, Robert, John Wesley, Newton, and Susan J, and several are buried nearby. JESSE J. is buried here in Texas. His wife, Julia A. Bishop (Montgomery) lies right beside him. Their children are Frances, John, James, William, Eliza, Mary Adeline, Sarah Amelia, and several of them are buried nearby. People have so confused these two JESSE’s that many trees are totally invalid. My favorite is the one that says he died in Jacksboro in 1887 and was buried in Missouri in 1861. ANCESTRY CONTINUES to support this fiction! I sure hope they do something. They are cheapening a good product by not having a way to STOP seeing wrong information. Thank you!

[@barbarabird3827]

AMEN!!!

[@mojavelynjester3732]

Yeah, I have the same with an ancestral uncle, others attempt to put a guy as his son. I tell those who keep putting Uncle in as the father to PROVE IT!

[@GenealogyTV]

Check out next Friday's episode on 6/10/22. I did an interview with Crista Cowan at Ancestry and ThruLines was one of the questions I asked her. She has a great explanation of how ThruLines is built. The video is available now for all channel members (one of the perks is early release of the videos). If you are channel member you can watch it now in the Community tab. kzbin.infocommunity

[@sewingmamawyo1281]

@ Linda Rowntree - So funny that I’m reading about John Montgomery and Sarah Moore and those are my ancestors through their daughter Talitha. At least I’m not part of the confusion about the Jesses born in 1807 but I do have a confusion of Meredith Yorks in the trees found in Ancestry.

[@craftystash8667]

As always, you make it clear and useful..😁

[@GenealogyTV]

Thanks Crafty. I do appreciate your continued support.

[@philipbutler6608]

I have a ax’s Grandmother who was born I think in Searcy Arkansas in 1860. I thought She showed up as unnamed under one year old infant on the 1860 census as a daughter of a man with the same name. So I put Him in the tree as a grandfather. Then the hints and cousin dna started linking up with thru lines. But the records show the one year old as someone else. So I looked at the story and the family had been raided by Jay Hawkers in 1864. Northern Marauders from Kansas who had strung their one year old boy up by his toes to extort money. They then shot the father and 16 year old son because they were of military age and burned down their house. There was another man in the area with the Same surname but he went off to join the army and never was heard from again. In the 1870 Census my the 10 year old grand mother is named first and last name in a Female Single Headed house hold of a different name. So then I started looking thru more of the stories of DNA matches. There is at least one case of a man who rode off to join the Army and never return. This is a family that moved from Tennessee to Arkansas before the civil war. There were a bunch of them and they have an area named after them. So I removed the man I thought was an x great grand parent and will try another approach. It’s mid boggling because I know I am related to the Man who was shot. Possibly a great uncle. Can I link a fake or working tree to my dna?

[@GenealogyTV]

That is not advised. Sad story you have there. Linking anything but factual information to your DNA in hopes of experimenting with ThruLines is fruitless. It doesn't work that way. Not to mention, when you do, you're messing up everyone else's (who is DNA cousins with you) their ThruLines could go wonky too.

[@philipbutler6608]

Well it helped me to clear it up. As I found the name of that child. Still haven’t figured out who that child is but still haven’t figured out who her father was. I fixed it immediately.

[@margaretmathis4775]

I have a question regarding DNA and a HUGE brick wall. My mother and her mother (my grandmother) are gone, so there’s no way to check their DNA. According to my DNA (and yes, I can tell my maternal from my paternal - that part is easy as pie for me 🤗), all of my Mom’s ancestors (both sides) are from the British Isles with a smattering of Scandinavian. This is consistent so far with research I have done, so I’m happy there. My maternal GGmother is an enigma. The only info I have on her is the record of her marriage to my GGF. There are several variations of her name, with “Sallie” being what’s on her gravestone and on her marriage license, that show up in research (such as Sarah, Elizabeth……). Her maiden name (or at least the name she went by when she married my GGF) is “Johnson,” or some form of same. I have and am still searching high and low for her in census records, etc., etc., but her name is fairly common and it and various versions comes up quite often in searches. Up until this point, I have only searched for “white” as her race…..well, because all of her known descendants are “Caucasian” judging by physical traits and the fact that there is no “African” (or other similar DNA showing up). Am I doing myself a disservice by excluding “Black” individuals in my searching? When my GGM died, she left my GGF with 5 young children. GGF passed his kids off to a local family consisting of a brother and his 2 spinster sisters: all 3 are thought to have been unmarried, and very much “God fearing” people. GGF died a year after GGM, so the kiddos had very little if an memory of him. According to family lore, this “adopted” family never told the children anything at all about their mother - why? No one knows. Maybe GGM was a different religion, race/ethnicity……. Maybe they were ashamed of her, or maybe they were just snobs - who knows. But back to my question: am I doing a disservice by excluding any race beside “white” in my search (especially since DNA points strongly toward British Isles)? My GGM and GGF were from Arkansas, mid to late 1800’s. Can find info about GGF, but nothing about GGM’s origins. Am I looking in the wrong places?

[@GenealogyTV]

There’s a lot of information here to absorb. Skimming through it I don’t see any evidence that you have any black ancestors in your family. Work from the most likely to the less likely. I do the same with records that I start with the largest record groups and work backwards. I don’t think you’re doing a disservice, but you never know, you may find something along the way that gives you an indication that you have some black ancestry. The name Johnson I know for my own family is a derivative of Jensen that came from Scandinavia. Going forward try and keep your questions brief please.

[@carlthornton3076]

Very Good!... #54 ✝ {6-6-2022}

[@JPaulHawthorne]

I love using ThruLines to help with my research.

[@GenealogyTV]

Got to love it.

[@andre1987eph]

If I have a family tree link and a DNA link, that’s good enough for me. I no longer have the time to drill into census information for tertiary confirmation.

[@GenealogyTV]

Well if the family tree is wrong, the the DNA connection might not be exactly right either. I recommend verifying with records.

[@jackiemedeiros8019]

Could the W in James W Knox be for Wiley. I noticed in a lot of my Census records family members told them their middle name and then in the next Census it is their First name.

[@GenealogyTV]

It's possible, yes.

[@mickytill7651]

Hi Connie, You might of answered this before but why can’t Ancestry differentiate between this person is not a DNA match and this person has not done a DNA test? Is it a legal thing you can only know someone has DNA test if they match with you? It would certainly help to know to ignore certain people and their lines of same name but no match! So many 18th and 19th Century similar names! Thanks Michael

[@GenealogyTV]

Sorry for the delayed response. I'm confused by your question. Where were you seeing "this person?"

[@blossomdennis9381]

I have looked through my Tru-lines and I have seen where they have Charles Sinclair (1860) as my great grandfather with his parents being my great great grandparents which is incorrect. I have asked them several times to correct it but they haven't. This Charles Sinclair died at the age of 20years old and didn't have any children according to a Will written by his father Thomas Sinclair. Could you please fix it for me. Thanks.

[@ladydirtold2371]

Thrulines is based on everyone's trees. So it can be WRONG if it is wrong in other people's trees....and we know how often other people's trees are wrong. Again, Ancestry can not fix what is showing in Thrulines because it based on member's trees.

[@GenealogyTV]

Treat ThruLines as a hint feature, just like a list of possible marriage records, not all of the records in the list of marriage records are going to be the right record. Think if ThruLines the same way, it's not a real tree, just a suggestion of what it might be compared to the trees of other Ancestry members + DNA to help craft a potential tree.

[@robinmccarthy9654]

Is there a way to reject a ThruLines suggestion once you've evaluated it and determined it's irrelevant so it doesn't keep appearing?

[@barbarabird3827]

I wish!

[@GenealogyTV]

Watch today's episode. I asked Crista Cowan this same thing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmGlfJ-Vr6-ZaaM

[@barnowl5774]

It is important to remember that all bone fide cousins are not necessarily DNA related. I have more English And N-W Europe relations but my personal DNA is weighted to my Welsh ethnicity. I have found English cousins who are related but not DNA related.

[@GenealogyTV]

So true

[@rjb6327]

I look at these hints on thru lines and a see things like 'potential 5th great grandfather" named Smith who is supposed to be the father of my known "4th great grandfather" named Jones. Now how can that be a worthwhile hint? Most seem to fall this way.

[@GenealogyTV]

This is likely populating because other member trees have put them in their... and there is a genetic connection to common ancestors higher in there trees. Remember, ThruLines is built on the back of your tree and others. If they are wrong, then ThruLines doesn't know that.

[@susandevinenapoli7649]

off topic a little here...why don't any of these channels refer to the DNA test kit they sell at Walgreens or CVS called Home DNA ancestry test. it right next to their paternity kit and 23 and me kits. I got some interesting results that I partly found in the records.

[@GenealogyTV]

I was not aware.

[@sheilachapman3903]

Does anyone ever get any sensible interaction from tree owners on Ancestry where you have a DNA match ? I have only ever had one tree owner who I have since met who has been genuine. Everyone else I contact either totally ignores me or can’t answer what their role in a particular tree is. Very frustrating to say the least.

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes I have. Watch this episode about why people don't respond. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYbXiqd8nLCXrpo

[@Mechanicalheartbeat]

Why don't I get any DNA matches for my Mother and Father, also 1st and 2 sec grandparents on ThruLines

[@GenealogyTV]

You might need a coach to help you figure that out.

[@douglaidlaw740]

I looked at ThruLines. All that I could see was a few full-screen photographs of my parents and immediate ancestors. There were no lines anywhere. And there are no lines on this video either, only a mass of identical dots.

[@GenealogyTV]

Is your DNA kit connected to your tree?

[@richardstidham3479]

Connie, how did you handle your husband's Ancestry DNA account when he passed away. I'm the manager of my aunt's account, will I need to do anything when she passes away. I know you did a video on this but I couldn't find it. Thank you for the helpful and entertaining videos.

[@GenealogyTV]

If you are the Admin on the DNA account, there is nothing you need to do. I still have full rights on my late husbands DNA account. If you are just a viewer of her account, the easiest thing to do is get her to share her username and password with you (per Ancestry's suggestion). The video you are talking about is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5atoIGBrpaimaM

[@ridercustodiomarques]

Sou do Brasil, estou fazendo minha genealogia, preciso de ajuda para encontrar registros de meus antepassados no Brasil 🇧🇷 mais preciso de ajuda para encontrar esses registros, não entendo inglês.

[@GenealogyTV]

Usa el traductor de Google. Ver también, www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Brazil_Genealogy

[@ridercustodiomarques]

@@GenealogyTV Obrigado

[@afnDavid]

If you want your tree to be accurate then you MUST verify. Quit assuming that what others' publish is accurate, and just copying their assertions.

[@GenealogyTV]

Amen

[@jjbud3124]

My Thruline is all messed up because someone put in the wrong person (+ that person's ancestors) and others copied the information in. I have researched and have a marriage certificate, birth records, etc., that proves it wrong. I have notified some of the others who had the wrong info and I believed they fixed it in their records (they did thank me for the links to the correct documents), but even more people are showing up with the wrong ancestors. Frustrating, and no way to fix it from my end.

[@GenealogyTV]

Stop trying to fix Thrulines. It's just a hint feature. Think of it as if you are searching a list of records for a marriage. Not all those records are going to be your family, same with Thrulines. It's not your tree... it's just hinting at the possibilities. It will continue to change.

[@kristianhayward944]

I am related to a Mary Maria Knox, but am not sure how that is related to your William Knox

[@kristianhayward944]

If it is the case that your related, then there is a possiblity that James W Knox middle name could be Wesley

[@GenealogyTV]

I don't have a Mary Knox but James W. Knox could be Wesley. I've seen that name before in the records.

[@roberthopgood1894]

is there some reason you don't check the records ON YOUR tree first ??

[@GenealogyTV]

Well if they are not in my tree, then there are no records to check. I do check other immediate family records if they are there. I will also go the extra mile and do a Card Catalog search for this person too, if needed.

[@roberthopgood1894]

@@GenealogyTV Then you do check those first. I find those records have the information 90%of the time

[@rebeccas5024]

Why would a husband have 4 matches and wife have 2? Would he have been married twice?