* Witnesses - Potentially the same person

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steveflanuk
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Family Historian: V6.2

Witnesses - Potentially the same person

Post by steveflanuk » 05 Aug 2020 16:38

Apologies if this has been asked before, but a number of searches didn't bring anything up (probably more to do with my search terms than anything else :oops: )

I have a number of 'Name Only' witnesses within my database, however, recently I had an example whereby I had 2 people who were witnesses to a wedding who weren't in my database. I couldn't find any kind of relationship to anyone in my database, so I added them as 'Name Only' witnesses rather than linking them to a new individual record in my database.

However, I've now found a marriage for a possible ancestor which could mean that these 2 'Name Only' witnesses may now become individuals within my database, once I've done the necessary research.

It's now got me thinking that I may have, potentially, added 'Name Only' witnesses to various events (baptisms, marriages, etc) who have been subsequently found to be individuals in my database.

Does anyone know if there is a query or plugin available which can show 'Name Only' witnesses that may potentially be in my database as individuals? Naturally, the names of these Witnesses may be different to the names of the individuals, either through marriage or the use of a 'nickname' rather than their Given names.

I am assuming that, at present, I can only generate a list of 'Name Only' witnesses and check them individually against a list of Individuals.

For example, I may have a Catherine Bloggs in my database who married a John Smith, but one of my 'Name Only' witnesses may have been recorded as 'Kate Smith' so could, potentially, be Catherine Bloggs as she has probably taken her husbands surname of Smith and may be more formally know as Kate rather than Catherine.

Many thanks in advance

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tatewise
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Re: Witnesses - Potentially the same person

Post by tatewise » 05 Aug 2020 17:58

In Witness reporting (11976) there is an attached List Name Only Witnesses Plugin.

But the kind of fuzzy logic matching where only Names are involved is notoriously difficult for software, unless we start involving artificial intelligence! Humans are much better at that kind of searching. Remember you have the Records Window search Filter to help you.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry

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steveflanuk
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Family Historian: V6.2

Re: Witnesses - Potentially the same person

Post by steveflanuk » 05 Aug 2020 21:30

Many thanks for the link to the plugin Mike - it must have been my search parameters that missed that post.

Fully expected the 'fuzzy logic' you mention to be a stumbling block to be honest. As you say, I think a mixture of using the results from your plugin along with a Records Window search should be good enough.

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