Family Historian User Group

Annoyingly I have discovered that I have mixed entries in my tree - some census entries are entered as 'census' but others are entered as 'residence', my own fault and probably ones that I have entered manually after importing my gedcom. People have either 'census' or 'residence' entries, but I'd prefer them to be consistent if I can.

Is there a way to magically change the type with out me having to re-enter all the 'residence' entries (they are censuses).

Thanks.

If ALL the Residence facts need to be changed to Census facts, then use my Change Any Fact Tag Plugin.
Just choose Source Tag Name: Residence on left, and Target Tag Name: Census on right, then click Residence to Census button, followed by Change all the Rest button.

If you imported your GEDCOM from Ancestry/FTM, then that is where the Residence Census facts came from.

In future I advise you use Ancestral Sources to capture new Census and BMD records.
That will ensure not only that you use the facts consistently, but that Sources and Media are named consistently.

Thanks Mike, i have re-created my own tree using AS which is obviously why that one is ok.

The issue is with a tree I created for a work colleague using Ancestry, and then imported to FH to print reports, and now a book. I'll have a go with the plugin tomorrow. Many thanks.

Thanks Mike, that worked a treat (except I forgot about the 1939 register, so had to manually re-enter those, luckily not too many). Have used the search and replace plugin tonight too (to make a place name shorter) and the AS census date checker to enter the full census dates. Great stuff.

I presume the Ancestry GEDCOM used some custom fact for 1939 Register instead of Residence.
Hopefully you have just entered them as a Census for 29 Sep 1939.
You could have changed them via the Plugin too.

Don't use Search and Replace to change Place names as there are dangerous consequences unless you follow the FAQ carefully.
Instead, just edit the Place record name via Tools > Work with Data > Places > Edit or directly in the Places tab of Records Window.
Please check your Place records, as I suspect you may have created a new Place record with the new name and left the old Place record behind, which if it had Media attached or Notes or Lat/Longitude values then they are now in the wrong record.

I added in the 1939 register entries myself, as residences as many people are quick to point out that it wasn't a census, so the change any fact tag plugin changed them. They are now back to residences for 29 Sep 1939, and i'm happy with that.

Re the search and replace, that seems to have worked ok, though i have shut the desktop down now so will have to check tomorrow. No notes or media attached. I had looked for a way to edit the names within FH but didn't find the 'work with data' option. I must print out all these responses to my queries and store them with the guide book. Thanks again for your advice.

I strongly advise that you don't record the 1939 Register as Residence and do use Census.
We all know that strictly it was not a Census, but it was conducted largely along the lines of the pending 1941 Census.
It has more characteristics of Census facts than it does of Residence facts.
It is included in the Census Collection in FindMyPast searches.
Ancestral Sources captures its details as a Census Event.
See ancestralsources:family_historian_census_event_for_uk_1939_register|> Family Historian Census Event for UK 1939 Register.
Various Reports, Queries, Plugins, etc, will only handle it correctly if recorded as a Census:

• See Publish > Miscellaneous Reports > Individual Census Report
• See fhugdownloads:censusrecords|> Downloads and Links ~ Census Records
• See Lookup Missing Census Facts Plugin
• See how_to:recording_census_records|> Recording from a Census Record

Ok thanks Mike, i'll have a look at those links now.

Just realised that i created my own custom fact called 1939 register, but it does what i wanted it to do. I have found so much information from the register that i like it to standout.

The more i read these posts, the more i realise that i have barely scratched the surface of all FH can do.

You can use the standard Census Event and still make it standout by substituting the name 1939 Register for the 29 Sep 1939 cases. It just needs a little customisation in the Tools > Fact Types definition as explained in the ancestralsources:family_historian_census_event_for_uk_1939_register|> Family Historian Census Event for UK 1939 Register Details.

Did you understand the importance of using the standard Census Event in order to be compatible with all those other tools, and in particular capturing the details via Ancestral Sources that has a Template just for the 1939 Register?

Thanks Mike, will look at changing the 1939 entries to census, and will try and remember to use AS in future.

Many thanks for all your advice and help.

My Chambers Dictionary defines CENSUS as 'an official enumeration of inhabitants with statistics relating to them' with which the 1939 census complies.

Using a census as a source for residence needs caution as it is only where the inhabitant was residing on a particular date. For example my grandfather, a widower, was residing at a hotel on that date in 1939. As he was between wives at that time he could have been living there for more than one night - I don't know. In another case a relative was found away from home staying at a pub. Further scrutiny of that census showed quite a few of the other residences, including his nephew, had the same occupation, cattle dealers. Was it a conference or a weekend jolly? My relatives were found at home on the next census.

Tony

Thanks Tony