* Missing Comment field when exporting from Ancestry to V5 FH

[AncestorAddict]

Hi

I am new to this game and so please bear with me! I have exported my Ancestry files via gedcom to FH5. It is very much as expected BUT I do not think that the 'Comments' field has been exported. I have used this field extensively on Ancestry and so really need the data to be somewhere in FH5 - can someone help? I am about to upgrade to FH6 and so perhaps that version manages that field?

[tatewise]

I have moved this topic to the Importing and Exporting Forum where it fits better, and may get answers from Ancestry users.

FH V6 will not be any different at handling the import of Gedcom from Ancestry.
Unfortunately, many genealogy packages are poor at creating well formatted Gedcom and including all the data.

However, there are lots of places that your Comments may be located, depending on what they were attached to.
In FH there are many Note fields, and here are a few places to look:
In the Individual Property Box select the Notes tab and various Notes may be listed there.
Alternatively, try the Facts tab and check the Note at the bottom for each Fact.
In the Records Window select the Notes tab and check the Note Records.

Finally, find some fairly unique Comment text in Ancestry.
Then use the FH Edit > Find to search for that text in the imported data.

If all that fails, then we can advise how to search for that same text in the Gedcom file itself, to see if Ancestry actually exported the Comment.

[AdrianBruce]

I have no means of backing this up but I have a vague idea that the Comments on Ancestry are simply not exported onto the GEDCOM file. As Mike suggests, try looking for some distinctive text - but don't get your hopes up.

[jimlad68]

As has been noted in this forum many times, Ancestry's online trees (and their Family Tree Maker) do strange things regarding Gedcoms. I have uploaded Gedcoms wondering where data (in particular notes) had gone to, I did sometimes find it after many clicks in the most obscure place. As Ancestry trees (+FTM) are so unreliable regarding portability of data, it is the last place to have your "master". It is usually a matter of porting what you can from Ancestry, cutting your losses, and doing some rekeying/ rearrangement.

I think Mike and AdrianBruce have it right. Key in some obvious distinctive text you can easily search on, then have a look for it in the Gedcom, or with Find or the Search and Replace Plugin within FH.

[mjashby]

'AncestorAddict',

You've already had a number of responses, so I will try to keep this brief:

You queried the 'Comments' entries not transferring from your Ancestry Tree. If you have used the Comments Tab on the individual records then that is your problem. The Comments Tab is only intended by Ancestry as an aid to communication with other users when you make your tree public, and can't be exported, i.e. You can make comments/pose questions etc. about the individual in that Tab and so can any other Ancestry Users who find the record. You are then automatically notified by e-mail if any comments are added by others.

If you want to add narrative information to your Ancestry Tree about individuals then what you should use is the individual 'Notes' Tabs which appear in each person's record and these 'should' be exported in any Gedcom downloaded.

What you could try if you have made extensive use of 'Comments' rather than 'Notes' that you want to try to transfer:

a) Move/Copy a few samples of your individual Comments entries to the Notes Tabs in the online Tree, then try exporting another Gedcom. - Check the Gedcom with a text editor such as NotePad to see if these notes do then transfer correctly before trying to import to Family Historian.

OR

b) Import your 'bare' Gedcom to a new Family Historian Project and work your way systematically through your online Ancestry Tree, copying and pasting any narrative that you want transfer to Individual Notes or Event Notes, as appropriate, in your new Family Historian Tree. As you will probably also want to download and link images for individual events from Ancestry to your Family Historian Project this progressive approach may well be best in the long term.

If you have a large Family Tree, this could take some considerable time so good luck.

Mervyn

[AncestorAddict]

Dear Mervyn and everyone else!

Yes, I now understand how I went wrong! The comments field is more visible on the profile page and so that is why I started using it! I have now created a 'Test Tree' and put text in both the 'Comment' field and the 'Notes' field. I then downloaded to FH6 (now upgraded!) and the text appeared in the individual's note field. I think as you suggested, I will copy and paste the comments in Ancestry to the 'Notes' in FH6 as I review each entry as I do need to check the 'ancestry' links and download the documents I need to my C:drive as well as re-establishing the links for documents that are already on my drive! As you say will take a while with 1,000 + entries!

Thanks everyone!

[tatewise]

Can you please update your FHUG User Control Panel > Profile > Family Historian Version 6 so it appears on the right of these postings.