Unknowns Project - Orphaned Profiles without LNAB

Question

The Unknowns Project needs your help to find the Last Names at Birth of orphaned profiles.

We have added 2 new Weekly reports to help you find them easily.

Once you have researched and found the correct LNAB, adopt the profile, change the LNAB and add your source. The profile can then be orphaned again.

If a profile has no information or links that will assist you to find the correct name, please add it to the [[Category: Recycle Unknowns]] so that these profiles can be used again by others.

• A Weekly Report of all Connected Orphaned Profiles with family Links

• A Weekly Report of all Unconnected Orphaned Profiles with NO family Links

Comments

Thank you for the above links, which make finding profiles to work on so much easier. I do hope this thread, or a new one gets posted periodically to remind us, about this task.  I tend to bounce all over the place, working on the wheel that is squeaking the loudest, at the moment.  

Found several, some attempts, revealed no LNAB, but did get sources added to their profiles (also to hubbies), and although couldn't find a LNAB for one lonely profile, did get her reconnected to her family, after she was thrown overboard in the gedcom upload.  A few were like winning the lottery, when the source search for hubby, had their marriage cert. at top of list.  And WOW one of those marriage certs had so much info - the full page of questions, where like an app for high security job.

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Patricia you have described exactly how I feel when I find a LNAB!! Thanks for the help.

I will certainly post something about the Unknowns monthly as a reminder.

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You can now explicitly search by fields so instead of Unknown, you can use LastnameAtBirth=Unknown

That would make a link like this for the second one.

https://wikitree.sdms.si/function/WTWebProfileSearch/Profiles.htm?Query=orphan+unlinked+LastnameAtBirth%3DUnknown&MaxProfiles=5000&SortOrder=Default&PageSize=10

Answer 1

I adopted Unknown-360020. I will do the research and add any sources I can find. I figured I should adopt her before doing the research, so others know the profile is being worked on.

Comments

Thanks Susan, that is a good idea, especially if you will need to do a lot of research.

Answer 2

A list of Unknowns that have a Other Last Name might be helpful.  Sometimes I put the LNAB in the Other Last Name field for a few reasons, 1) I would like someone else to verify;  2) I am chasing a different rabbit down a different hole and do not want to get lost; 3) lazy.

Comments

here are a few examples:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-62158

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-365614

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-370807

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-366300

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-363324

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so lazy

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-153497

Answer 3

I used the connected report to 

• find a probable duplicate profile for UNKNOWN-249218, added some sources, and proposed three merges (the unknown and her two linked children). Hopefully the other profile manager will agree and complete the merges.
• find a match between UNKNOWN-249220 and UNKNOWN-122297 (same husband, also duplicated, merge complete). Research did not turn up a maiden name, so merged both into a mixed case profile (Unknown-176528) found in the recycle category. Added sources found.

Comments

Thanks Debi for giving us such a great example how we can reduce the Unknowns.

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The secret to that was using WikiTree+ to search for the GEDCOM that was on the profile. I was able to find other unconnected profile from the same GEDCOM that helped identify them.

Answer 4

Would you believe that Unknown is the only "surname" with more profiles than Smith (which only passed 200,000 last week)?

Comments

I'm not surprised, Pip, but are you sure of those numbers?  If you're basing it purely on WikiTree ID, your conclusion might not be supported.  Many, many profiles that started out as Unknown have been changed to a valid LNAB when it has been found, so the WikiTree ID numbers are much, MUCH higher than the number of profiles.

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Well, what does a guy know about math? 

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are you perchance hoisting me on my own petard?

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I just had an idea - let's have a connectors challenge for Unknowns - that would get a lot of LNAB's found, although the connectors might find it more challenge than they signed up for.

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Great idea Gaile!!! It would make a huge difference.

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I have an illegitimate grandfather with three surnames on different records (birth 1871, baptism 1877 and adopted stepfather after 1876), but his biological father's surname is unrecorded. This is not helped by official records going missing.

All I have is family stories about his life that point in a direction that someone did not want public knowledge. We do know also his father was in Windsor in early 1871 and was 100% of German descent. My 12.9% reading for him.

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Have you checked the 1871 census to see who was born in Germany and living in Windsor, Berkshire (or nearby)?

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I did for Germany and France. His maternal grandparents were a comfortable family relative to the time, used the term Esquire, but not rich enough to acquire contracts on the Royal Estate or Royal Household. All the Germans and French nationals were just waiters and the most able was a teacher. They were far poorer than his maternal family which was compromised because his mothers family were separated. I keep coming back to the Saxe-Cobug-Gotha family. He was given privileged access to the Palace grounds, lived in Royal staff property despite not being employed. His uncle years later had a carriage maintenance contract. Many of his records have completely disappeared. All the family gossips points to a Royal father.

Answer 5

Hi! I've been enjoying working on some of these profiles and finding LNAB and sourcing them. I wonder if you all can help me pull a search in Wikitree+ so that I can filter things a bit more to fit my abilities (century/location/etc.) How do I search for unknowns / orphans in Wikitree+

Thanks for any help!

Comments

Oh boy. As soon as I asked it I came up with my answer. I'm sorry! Answered!!

Answer 6

WOW! Thank you so much to everyone that is helping out with Orphaned Profiles without LNAB.

Since this post in Dec 2019 the number of Unknown profiles without family links has been reduced from 5 263 to 3 292 this week.

https://wikitree.sdms.si/function/WTWebProfileSearch/Profiles.htm?Query=Unknown%20orphan%20unlinked&MaxProfiles=6000&SortOrder=LNAB&pagesize=100&pageIdx=17

Answer 7

I was able to find LNABs for two Unknowns so far and sourced their profiles.

Comments

Thanks Jessica. That's great, everyone counts!!

Answer 8

I found a woman in the list who had "Unknown" as Preferred name. She had a LNAB, she had a CLN, so it was easy to find a proper source for her and kick out her son from the {{Unsourced}} list as well.

Answer 9

Since someone (sorry I don't remember who! Was it you, Esme?) suggested going through our own Watchlists and sorting out our own Unknowns, I've managed to get my count down to five and may have a line on eliminating one of them to a proper LNAB. I think Gaile's idea for an official Challenge is an awesome idea.

Answer 10

I've been working on my own Unknowns for quite awhile.  In so many cases, anything related to the person is that so and so married Elizabeth - no familial information whatsoever. And, with so many having common names, it is impossible to verify.  But, I still search. I keep hoping someone in the family will mention their grandparents at some point.

Answer 11

I'm working on a few this month.  I found some already.

Answer 12

Why was I dropped AGAIN from the Unknowns Project page?

Comments

Hi Terry

I am not sure what page you are refering to as I can still see you on the Members Page.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Unknowns#Project_Members

Please let me know so that I can see how to help you.

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The google page. This happened once before. I am getting the emails, but cant reply, and the group doesn't show up on my google groups page.

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I can see you on the page and you have full access. I am going to remove you from the group and send a new invite and lets see if that helps.

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Unfortunately, you were unable to join the group

The following error occurred:

• You are using a different account than the intended recipient of the invitation.
• Please sign in to the correct account.

Make sure you are attempting to join the group with the same account that received the group invitation.

If you continue to have problems, please contact the group owner.

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2 days ago I switched to my second computer.

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Terry, do you use more than one gmail address? I find that I have to log in to the one I use for groups first before logging in to any other. I ask only because you mentioned switching computers and I've had that happen to me if I forget and log in to the wrong one first.

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I always use [redacted for privacy]  Haven't checked gmail for probably close to a year. I have switched back again. 

edited to redact email address

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Terry that is not the mail that is on the group. I will send you a PM of what the one I have.

I will send you an invite on the above mail.