What is FamilySearch searching?

According to FamilySearch, nobody was born in England and Wales between 1888 and 1890.

In an effort to broaden my search for Peter Bernstein, born in England about 1889, I removed one detail after another in the hopes of getting some kind of search result. I was finally fed up and removed everything except the birth year range.

Was nobody born in two countries for three years preceding the census?

If the search algorithm doesn’t use those fields, then maybe it should completely ignore them rather than remove all possible results based on the rest of the information.

On the other hand, when I remove the birth years and get some search results, and FamilySearch tells me to visit the partner site, then FindMyPast tells me:

So, is someone in England scanning it right now so it’ll be there if I try again in 30 minutes?

One thought on “What is FamilySearch searching?”

  1. I have long wondered just what algorithms they use sometimes. I am constantly amused and irritated when I look up, say a female born in 1901, and get all kinds of Civil War records returned as hits.

    I guess they are just real proud that they (actually Fold3) have them and are just showing off. Apparently being valid is inconsequential.

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