* Merge duplicate familes

[Valkrider]

Can SKS do a video on merging entire families when they are duplicate. This can be for 3 generations. I do a surname study and have several occasions of this as I do more research.

I have tried this on a couple of occasions and really screwed the database up and reverted to the backup. The only reliable way I have done this so far is by noting the record numbers of each person in the family and then merging the individuals and this sometimes screws up with multiple identical facts.

There must be an easier way. Yes I have read the knowledge base but I still have issues and a video I am sure would be welcome not just for me. I can supply a gedcom if someone can do this if necessary.

[tatewise]

Who is SKS?
I can appreciate that it is quite a complex process and a video tutorial might help.

I think the recommended approach is to start by merging the duplicate pair of Family records for the youngest family.
On Families tab do the merge of the Families and Facts, and keep both sets of Children.
Then on the Individuals tab merge the Parents and their Facts.

Then separately merge each duplicate Child pair of Individual records and Facts.
As with any merge process you must concentrate on which Fact fields must be merged, and expand all the [+] subfields where necessary.

It is possible to expand linked records for Spouse family and Parents family and continue merging linked families.

[Jane]

If there are a lot of people in the duplicated branch, one useful trick is to export the duplicated branch from the file and then delete all the records from the master tree.

If you then merge it back in with the file merge, this will normally improve the matching as it attempts to match all the people from the file rather than just the first one.

[Valkrider]

@Mike

SKS is shorthand for 'Some Kind Soul'

Thanks for the suggestions from you and @Jane I will explore those.