Why Ancestry hints are clues and not necessarily answers

Even though we have been warned about Ancestry hints are clues, many people still take them as gospel.

Example: Eliza A Hilts born about 1832 in New York the eldest child of Lawrence and Nancy Hilts.

I find Eliza in the 1850 US Federal Census living with her parents in Manlius, Onondaga, New York, USA. She is 18 years old. The census transcriber transcribed the surname as Wilts. When I click on this record, Ancestry brings up a long list of suggested records.

The suggested records are for Amanda E Thurston also known as Elizabeth Thurstin. I also see in the list of suggestions the 1850 US Federal census for Amanda E Hilts. This is my first signal that my Eliza A Hilts is not Amanda E Hilts who later is known as Amanda E Thurston. Amanda is living in the household of George Hilts and his wife Sarah. There are nine children, ranging in age from 20 years old to 1 years old. Amanda is the second born. Thus, I am confident that Amanda E Hilts is not my Eliza A Hilts.

I continue down the list of suggestions and I find a Charlotte A Elizabeth Reed. I find a death record in Michigan where she died in 1903 at the age of 61 and thus her estimated date of birth is 1842. Her parents are listed as Lawrence Hilts and Caroline Thomas. Looking further down the list, I find Charlotte Hilts age 8 living in the household of Lawrence Hilts and his wife Caroline in the 1850 US Federal Census living in De Witt, Onondaga, New Yor, USA. Thus, I am very confident that Charlotte A Elizabeth Hilts is not my Eliza A Hilts either.

Now this example may seem very straight forward, however, did you know that Ancestry shows Suggested Records based on other people trees and the records that they attach to those people. Therefore, some people’s trees may have attached Amanda Hilts records to the Eliza Hilts in their tree or Charlotte Hilts records to Eliza Hilts or even Amanda Hilts. These records hints might have come up for other reasons such as Amanda and Eliza are both in Manilus, Onondaga County, New York in 1850 and are both age 18. It might have shown hints for Charlotte because her father is Lawrence, the same as Eliza’s father’s name. 

So, my cautionary tale is that all hints need to be research further to make sure you don’t attach the wrong people to your tree. 

As for me, I am very confident that all these people are related to me. Eliza’s parents Lawrence and Nancy Hilts are my direct ancestors; however, George and the other Lawrence are probably distant relatives. This is one of the reason’s I research all branches of my family. Not only so that I can place these people in my tree as a way to record them as not my person of interest, but so I can visualize their placement in my family.

Since none of these hints panned out to be my Eliza A Hilts, I am not any further in my research. She doesn't appear with the family on the 1855 New York State Census. In fact, not only Eliza A, but May J and Elizabeth are gone by 1855. Based on their ages, they may have married. I still have a few research tricks up my sleeve, so I am not done on my journey.