For Ancestry users there are two (perhaps more) sets of information/data on relatives.

Copies of the original data and Ancestry user transcription of the original Data.

Typos likely occur in transcription.

- Things get cocked up when
- Users Speculate.

For example if your great grandfather is named John Smith then you great grandmother must named Mrs Smith or Mrs John Smith. The problem is only maiden names have any meaning.

In addition some users do not seem to understand the data conventions used by ancestry. About (Circa) 1900 has meaning!

For most (British) users they can get back to the 15th Century. Other countries may provide data on earlier relatives.
juriscitions that are now France were very good at keeping record. As well as Parts of the HRE (Holy Roman Empire).

If your relatives are noble or related to persons who are earlier data is likely available.

The Ancestry Leaf.

You can resolve the Leaf/Hint if have access to the data.
We started with access to local data. In essence, we had limited resolution. I/we now have world wild access.

With world wide access the Leaf/Hint leads to answers, however, they provide more questions and answers.

One leaf could lead to 10 - 20 more hints.
Resolution of one my 13,000 hints could take 2 - 5 hours when you try to resolve all hints.

That is you want 13,000 hints to end up at 12,999 not 13,127 hints. I suppose it is the alligator-swamp thing.

I have about 9,000 relatives, however, after a few generations I restrict my relatives to [great] grandparents.

I do have a few uncles For Example my great x Uncle Richard I brother of King John I.

With the birth rate extremely high My actually relatives could
be 50,000 if included everyone.

My actual number of relatives is reduced since Charlemagne is a great great grandfather 8 times.

Early relatives of my paternal grandmother married early relatives of her husband, my paternal grandfather.

I do have two instances where I have real relatives as offspring of fictitious persons. When there is substantial evidence that the fictitious person actually existed.

If we can successfully resolve the issue, I would be able to say I have found my 120th great grandparents. That is a big IF.

It appears that I am related to the 4th and 7th president of the US as well as Lady Diana Spencer.

I do try to verify Ancestry data with data from other sources.

When great grandparents are siblings, Ancestry gets very confused. I have tried to get Ancestry to understand, however, they use the "My mind is made up, Don't confuse me with the facts!" method.

If John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke were a real person he would be relative.

TM