Answers Hiding in Plain Sight: Using What You Know to Discover What You Don’t Know

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a genealogical black hole, unable to escape? Anyone who has done family history has probably felt that way at times.

Here’s a simple approach for when you feel stuck: use what you know to discover what you don’t know. In other words, you can evaluate the information you already have and use it to find further information.

To illustrate this approach, let’s look at 3 examples, from simple to more complex.

Example 1: Finding Rupert’s Parents

Let’s say you have an ancestor named Rupert Frederick Quibell. Everything you know about him comes from his grave marker and burial location. Now you’d like to learn who his parents are.

Use What You Know

Here’s what you know, based on Rupert’s grave marker:

• Rupert Frederick Quibell was born on 15 June 1892. 

• He died on 28 November 1925.

• He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. 

Discover What You Don't Know

You look in FamilySearch historical records and discover a death record for a Rupert Frederick Quibell. The death record lists his parents as George A. Quibell and Elizabeth J. Black.

But are they the right parents? Rupert Frederick Quibell is an unusual name, but names are often used multiple times in a family—for instance, a father, son, and cousin might all have the same name.

The key lies in using what you know to evaluate the facts on the record:

• The death date of 28 November 1925 matches the death date on the grave marker. 

• The estimated birth year of 1892 matches the birth year on the grave marker. 
  

• The death place of Lindsay, Ontario, fits with the burial location. 

Reach a Conclusion

The death record is a match! The information is consistent with what you already know, and there are no red flags. Because you’re confident you have the correct death record, you’re also confident you’ve found the correct parents.

Example 2: Who Is Mary?

Robert Appleyard was born in 1871 in Conginsby, Lincolnshire, England. In the 1901 census, he has a wife, Mary H., and they have a son, Arthur. How could you use what you know about Mary H. from the 1901 census to determine her maiden surname and marriage date?

Use What You Know

Here’s what you know from the 1901 census:

• Mary is 27, so she was born about 1874. 
  

• Her birthplace is Brampton en le Morthen, Yorkshire, England. 
  

• The couple’s son, Arthur, is 2 years old and was born in Hooton Levitt, Yorkshire, England. 

This may not seem like much to go on, but even this sparse information can lead you to more. If you can find Mary and Robert in the 1911 census, you can learn when they were married. In addition, Arthur’s birth registration will provide Mary’s maiden surname. This information should help you find Mary and Robert’s marriage record.

Discover What You Don't Know

When you search FamilySearch historical records, you find Mary, Robert, and Arthur in the 1911 census and learn some important details:

• Mary and Robert had been married 14 years—making their marriage year about 1897.

• Mary's middle name was Hannah, which fits with her middle initial H. in the 1901 census.

Arthur’s birth registration information, available through the General Register Office website, reveals new information:

• His mother’s maiden surname was Lamb, giving us her full name of Mary Hannah Lamb.

Using the approximate marriage year from the 1911 census and Mary’s full name, you find a marriage record in FamilySearch historical records.

Is it a good match?

• The bride and groom’s names match what we already know (Robert Appleyard and Mary Hannah Lamb). 

• The marriage date, 26 November 1896, is close to what we were expecting, based on the 1911 census.  

• The marriage takes place in Laughton, Yorkshire, about 3 miles from Mary’s home parish of Brampton en le Morthen.

Reach a Conclusion

All the facts line up, and there are no contradictions. You achieved your goal! You used what you knew about Mary from the census to find her maiden surname and marriage date.

Example 3: Are These 2 Alfred Tyes the Same Person?

Analyzing a possible incorrect merge in Family Tree can be challenging. It often involves determining the original intended identity of each profile in the merge, then determining whether they represent the same human being. But sometimes the original identity isn’t complete, and we need to use what we know to discover what we don’t know.

Use What You Know

In this example, 2 profiles for a person named Alfred Tye were merged in Family Tree. The table below compares the original identities shown in the change log of each profile.

Comparing the 2 Alfred Tyes shows no contradictions. For instance, it’s possible that a man christened in 1846 in Birmingham could have had a daughter born in 1869 in Southwell. But there’s also no proof that the 2 profiles represent the same person.

How can you find the proof you need? You have several options:

1. Find Alfred 1 in the census with his daughter, Nelly. The census should have his birth information, so you can see if it matches the birth information for Alfred 2.
2. Look for Alfred 1’s marriage record. This record might show if his father was Henry Tye, the father of Alfred 2. 
3. Look for Alfred 2 in the census. The census would help you see if he eventually married and had a daughter named Nelly. 

Discover What You Don't Know

1. Find Alfred 1 in the census with his daughter, Nelly.

When you search in FamilySearch historical records, you find Alfred and Nelly (going by Ellen) in the 1871 census. You also learn:

• Alfred’s wife’s name was listed as Eliza.

• Alfred was born in 1840 in Rushton, Northamptonshire, England. 

Here’s the first clue that Alfreds 1 and 2 may not be the same. It would be unusual for a child born in 1840 in one county (Nottinghamshire) to be christened 6 years later in a different county (Warwickshire).
2. Look for Alfred 1's marriage record.

You discover a marriage record on Ancestry.com that shows more information:

• Alfred Tye married Eliza Bryan in 1870 in Southwell, Nottinghamshire (the same place where Nelly was born). 

• Alfred’s father’s name was Joseph.

Here’s the second clue that the 2 Alfreds may not be the same, because Alfred 2’s father is Henry.
3. Look for Alfred 2 in the census.

There is no trace of Alfred 2 in any census record. A little more searching reveals why: Alfred 2 died when he was an infant. His burial is in the same location as his christening, and his parents, Henry and Eliza, are listed on the burial record.

Reach a Conclusion

The table below shows the additional information from the results of our research in italics.

Now it’s clear that Alfred 1 and Alfred 2 are not the same person and the incorrect merge needs to be repaired.

This example shows how valuable it can be to use what we know to discover what we don’t know, even if it takes a few extra steps to get there.

Remember, when you’re feeling stuck, take a careful look at what you already know, especially details such as an occupation or a mother’s maiden surname. Chances are that you can use what you already know to get unstuck and discover more about your family.

Now It's Your Turn

Many resources can help you as you research and build your family tree:

• FamilySearch Help and Learning Center

• FamilySearch Research Wiki

• FamilySearch Community

• RootsTech On-Demand Learning Library

• Online classes, such as those offered by the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and the BYU Library Family History Center

Related Articles

How to Fix Incorrect Merges in the Family Tree

By  Amie Tennant

March 9, 2025

Have you accidentally merged two profiles in the FamilySearch Family Tree and then later realized you shouldn’t have? Or has an ambitious re…

More