Family Historian User Group

What happens to our family trees when we die? I'd thought that they'd die with us especially if we were no longer able to subscribe to FT sites like Ancestry?

It depends what steps you have taken to preserve it.

Ancestry have free accounts that support family trees, so any tree on Ancestry will probably remain there as long as Ancestry exists. Same for FindMyPast.

I have a tree on Ancestry, FMP and MyHeritage and hope people will find my work helpful even after I'm gone. I've also left all my research to the Society of Genealogists in my will as none of my nieces and nephews (yet) have shown any interest.

If you actively want your work deleted after death, you'd have to provide account details and clear instructions to somebody you trust to carry out your wishes.




P.S. I've moved this to the Research topic where it's a better fit than Genealogy News.

Thank you ColeValleyGirl.

The mechanics of passing on data are potentially fairly complex. If a tree is on Ancestry or similar, l believe only the owner can download it. Everyone else just has read access to the website, so extending it might be a challenge.

I’ve got a large box of old photo albums, 35mm slides and 8mm cine film from the 1940s to 1960s, complemented by a couple of self-published printed family histories from elderly relatives who are now long-deceased, but much of the material is in relatively poor condition. I suspect our children will probably just dispose of most of it when the time comes.

By contrast, most of my data are electronic, so accessing and sorting what’s worth keeping from earlier generations digital footprints will be an increasing challenge in the future. It could exist in pristine form forever, but it could all be deleted with the click of the mouse (or more likely, a spoken request to the AI system...).

Same applies to all your other much more important electronic "stuff" of course. If you are suddenly not there, can your family access what they need...?

Hi Helen,

Interested in your leaving your research to the SoG - I hadn't even considered that. Ironically, I'm the only one in our family with no children and, like you, I'm not sure my niece and nephews will be interested. I will look into this option as well - I'm assuming they want it in electronic form only?

ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑

27 May 2023 10:13

I have a tree on Ancestry, FMP and MyHeritage and hope people will find my work helpful even after I'm gone. I've also left all my research to the Society of Genealogists in my will as none of my nieces and nephews (yet) have shown any interest.

fhtess65 wrote: ↑

27 May 2023 15:42

I will look into this option as well - I'm assuming they want it in electronic form only?

Details here.

Thanks, Helen Still hoping a family member will show an interest, but if they don't...