Message Boards

You are here: Message Boards > Surnames > Hetherington > One World Tree Warning: Bad Information on John Hetherington
Names or Keywords
All Boards   Hetherington - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

One World Tree Warning: Bad Information on John Hetherington

Sort

One World Tree Warning: Bad Information on John Hetherington

heatherington22  (View posts) Posted: 25 Apr 2007 4:30PM GMT
Classification: Query
This is to warn anyone looking for John Hetherington b. ca 1786, and related Hetheringtons in Canada and Ireland.

I am a descendant of John Hetherington b. ca 1786 in Aghaloo Parish, Tyrone County, Ireland, d. 1851 in Scarborough Ontario. His wife was Margaret McMorran (or MacMorran. They and their children emigrated to Ontario, Canada in 1823. All my information is well-documented by wills, deeds, census records, and the like.

In the year 2000 I posted my tree at worldconnect.rootsweb.com. You can see it at:

http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=aheath&I11.x=3...

When Rootsweb became affiliated with Ancestry, Ancestry lifted all the Rootsweb trees and incorporated them into its "One World Tree". "One World Tree" is a computer-generated Frankenstein of a family tree that puts together any names and dates it thinks vaguely might match, thus creating ridiculous chains of errors.


The fate of my research is that now One World Tree has my John Hetherington (b. 1786, Aghaloo, d. 1851, Ontario) married not only to Margaret MacMorran, but according to them he is also married to Ellenor Hamilton and had a second family (with son Christopher) in Ireland later on after he emigrated to Canada. (HA)


I complained to Ancestry but they do not seem to care. I know I'm not the only person whose research has been compromised in this way. I don't mind sharing my work but I want the information transmitted accurately.

Anyway, I figure the least I can do is warn everyone doing Hetherington research that the John Hetherington who married Ellenor Hamilton in Ireland, and who is the father of Christopher, IS NOT the same man who was born in 1786 in Aghaloo Parish, Tyrone, Ireland, married Margaret McMorran, emigrated to Canada, and died in 1851.


Re: One World Tree Warning: Bad Information on John Hetherington

margo162  (View posts) Posted: 28 Feb 2010 2:20AM GMT
Classification: Query
Just to confuse the issue further!!! There was a Christopher Hetherington born in N.S.W., Australia, in 1844, the son of John & Jane Hetherington. I cannot find a marriage for John & Jane (in N.S.W. records), but this Christopher later became a well-known figure both on the South Coast and the North Coast. He died in 1919. He once owned the Fermanagh Hotel at Kiama so possibly his parents came from Northern Ireland! He had several sons, including a Christopher!
Margaret Henderson, Lismore, N.S.W. (R.R.H.Society)

Find a Board

Page Tools