| If you're looking for a blank family tree chart, | | | | research. |
| you've come to the right place. The link below will | | | | Over the years, genealogists have struggled with |
| take you to my website where you can | | | | a consistent way to write dates. Slowly |
| download a simple four generation chart in PDF | | | | convention has evolved to the 2/3/4 formula: |
| format for free. | | | | DAY (two digits) MONTH (three letter |
| After you do that, here are some important tips | | | | abbreviation) YEAR (four digits). The three letter |
| to help you fill it out correctly. | | | | abbreviations for the months are always the first |
| First off, in genealogy, a family is defined as a | | | | three letters of any particular month. EXAMPLE: |
| father, a mother and their children. The mother | | | | 31 MAR 1841. |
| and father don't have to be married to each | | | | In the space provided on your blank family tree |
| other; they don't even have to live under the | | | | chart, write down the date you were born: DAY |
| same roof. | | | | MONTH YEAR. |
| This "family" concept is the most comprehensive | | | | Genealogy Tip #4 |
| way of keeping track of any particular blood line, | | | | Before you record your birth place, there's |
| encompassing all children born between two | | | | another rule to learn. When documenting any data, |
| particular people; right or wrong, legal or illegal, | | | | from dates to places, genealogists think: small, |
| moral or not. What matters is the bloodline of | | | | medium, large. A day is smaller than a month; a |
| each individual on your family tree and how they | | | | month is smaller than a year. |
| relate to you. | | | | The same rule holds true for location. Village, town |
| Genealogy Tip #1 | | | | or city first. Follow that with the county if you |
| It is easier to keep up than catch up. | | | | know it. Then the state and country. Small to |
| Document everything. Yes, it is time consuming | | | | large. Example: Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, |
| but not nearly as time consuming as having to | | | | USA. |
| re-research something you already spent hours | | | | Genealogy Tip #5 |
| on just because you forgot to get the page | | | | Our generation is not the first generation to |
| number. Do it right the first time and it will only | | | | marry multiple times, and as a genealogist one |
| take seconds as opposed to hours. | | | | shouldn't pass judgment on Great Granny Dupont |
| On your first blank family tree chart - also called a | | | | who married seven times -- once to a first cousin |
| pedigree chart - you'll need to fill in the Chart | | | | and once to her mother's sister's widowed |
| Number - which is 1. Then fill in "Pedigree Chart | | | | husband. If you are currently married, or |
| for (Your Name) who is person #1 on chart #1." | | | | widowed, fill in the date that you married and |
| Genealogy Tip #2 | | | | where. Fill in the name of your spouse: first, |
| Start with yourself. No one knows you like you | | | | middle and the last name that they were born |
| do. Or do they? After getting bit by the | | | | with. |
| genealogy bug, some folks have learned that they | | | | If you've been married multiple times and have |
| were adopted or the man they thought was their | | | | had children with other spouses, print another |
| dad was not. In my husband's case, he was only | | | | blank family tree chart for each marriage and fill it |
| the second generation to bear his particular last | | | | in with identical information EXCEPT for marriage |
| name, the original simplified courtesy of Ellis Island | | | | spouse information. Label it Chart Number 1B |
| when his family emigrated from Holland. | | | | (Spouse #2), 1C (Spouse #3), 1D (Spouse #4) |
| On the far left of the blank family tree chart, in | | | | and so on. Put the most current chart on top, this |
| the first slot, write "#1," and then PRINT the | | | | should be Chart # 1, and staple the rest together |
| name that you were born with. As you progress | | | | underneath. You'll get to them later. |
| into your research you will discover that many | | | | Genealogy Tip #6 |
| people have illegible handwriting and you will love | | | | Most blank family tree charts are filled in left to |
| those dear souls who printed. Handwriting has | | | | right. |
| changed much in the last 200 years and there will | | | | So, take a step to the right and begin filling in the |
| be more changes in the next 200 years. Have | | | | slot representing your parents, just like you did |
| mercy on your great great grandchildren who will | | | | for yourself. On the topmost line, write #2 and |
| be the keeper of this family tree you are starting. | | | | your father's information. #3 is for your mother. |
| Some genealogists prefer to print the surname | | | | Remember that when filling in a chart, the males |
| (last name) in capital letters. | | | | are always on top, with the "distaff side" |
| Genealogy Tip #3 | | | | (females), beneath. Apparently the "missionary |
| When you start to grow your family tree, it's not | | | | position" has always dictated a woman's place in |
| only what you know about yourself, but what | | | | history. Also, other than YOURSELF who is #1, |
| you can prove. Do you have your birth | | | | the males will always be even numbers and the |
| certificate? If so, extract the information that is | | | | females will always be the odd numbers. |
| found there. If you have an official state | | | | Genealogy Tip #7 |
| document, you can consider this "confirmed" or | | | | Many genealogists enter information onto their |
| "documented" information. Make a copy of it and | | | | charts in pencil. This is called "The Working Chart." |
| keep it with your pedigree chart. Do not keep any | | | | When they are certain that all information for that |
| original documents in the family tree files that you | | | | person is correct and documented, they reenter it |
| take out of your home when you're off doing | | | | into a new, clean chart in pen. |