The Genealogist

Different Types of Family Trees

November 19, 2007 on 6:29 am | In Amateur Genealogist News | No Comments

By Javier Colayco

For many, the first encounter with their family tree has to do with a grade school project that involves tracing relationships of one\’s immediate family in a rather rudimentary format. While it is true that the traditional boxes and lines of grade-school family tree projects are indeed a popular layout, they are by no means the only methods of illustrating a family tree.

Many people find that the most basic of family tree layouts can be quite limiting in scope. If you want to create a comprehensive family tree that traces multiple generations and numerous family branches, the boxes and branches approach will only get you so far. That is why many genealogists (both novice and advanced) turn to other family tree formats to trace the history of their families. Here are some of the most popular methods of creating family trees.

Pedigree charts probably have the closest resemblance to the family trees that many of us have created in school. If you want to take a more simplistic/traditional approach to family tree creation, a pedigree chart may be just what you want.

A pedigree chart shows the direct ancestry of a given individual and assigns each person in that ancestral line a number. Number 1 is the person at the end of the family tree. Numbers 2 and 3 are the father and mother (respectively), 4 and 5 are the paternal grandfather and grandmother and 6 and 7 are the maternal grandparents.

When illustrated, the pedigree chart looks somewhat like a rocket ship sitting on its side. You can view more information and illustrations of pedigree charts here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedigree_chart

Those who want to trace their family history and share it with friends and family will often use creative layouts to do so. These layouts include photo montages, scrapbooks, paintings, and other creative mediums.

A photo montage can be a great way to display your family history in video format. By creating a photo montage on DVD, you can use family pictures (both old and new) and music to illustrate the history and relationships of one\’s family while entertaining those who watch it.

Photo montages don\’t usually work well for those who want to create an extensive family tree that dates back hundreds or thousands of years, but they are perfect for those who want to create a remembrance of a few generations past for future members of the family.

Scrapbooks are another wonderful way to creatively display a family\’s lineage. By scrapbooking your family heirlooms and photographs, you can create a gift for future generations of your family to share. Pictures, letters, birth and marriage certificates, even locks of hair, pieces of jewelry and old family recipes can be placed in a family scrapbook.

You can find more information on scrapbooking your family tree here:
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/scrapbooks/a/family_history.htm

For those who would like to display their family history for all to see, a professional painting may be the ideal choice. There are artists who cater to those studying their genealogy and are experienced in illustrating family histories.

Once you have gathered all of your family information together, the artist can create a painting detailing your family\’s past. Some people choose to commission paintings that depict a family\’s historical migration while others have ornate and detailed trees painted with the names of family members incorporated into the branches.

You can find out more about family tree paintings here:
http://www.familytreepaintings.com

Pedigree charts probably have the closest resemblance to the family trees that many of us have created in school. If you want to take a more simplistic/traditional approach to family tree creation, a pedigree chart may be just what you want.

A pedigree chart shows the direct ancestry of a given individual and assigns each person in that ancestral line a number. Number 1 is the person at the end of the family tree. Numbers 2 and 3 are the father and mother (respectively), 4 and 5 are the paternal grandfather and grandmother and 6 and 7 are the maternal grandparents.

When illustrated, the pedigree chart looks somewhat like a rocket ship sitting on its side. You can view more information and illustrations of pedigree charts here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedigree_chart

The genogram is a type of family tree that has often been used in the psychiatry and medical fields. Unlike a traditional family tree that just illustrates names and dates, a genogram displays family relationships and medical histories.

While genograms haven\’t traditionally been used by genealogists, they are becoming more and more popular as people are beginning to realize the importance of tracing hereditary medical conditions. You can view more information and illustrations of genograms here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genogram

Ahnentafel charts are an increasingly-common method of recording one\’s family history. Because of the Ahnentafel\’s layout, they take up less space and those who want to record genealogies in a notebook find that Ahnentafel format to be very convenient.

An Ahnentafel chart is made up of names and numbers. When creating the chart, the number of the father is always two-times that the number given to the child. The number given to the mother is two-times the number given to the child plus one.

For example, in your Ahnentafel chart you would be given the number 1, your father the number 2 and your mother the number 3. Then your father\’s father would be given the number 4 and your father\’s mother the number 5. This would continue all the way up the tree.

The numbers in an Ahnentafel chart correlate with the numbers in an illustrated pedigree. You can view more information on Ahnentafel charts here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahnentafel

The online creation of family trees has become increasingly popular and as such, there are a wide variety of family tree makers on the Web. However, while many people were excited to see the wealth of family tree makers on the Web, the sheer number of service providers became problematic over time.

Genealogists routinely like to share information with one another to help further their research. When genealogist A would try to share information with genealogist B, there wasn\’t an efficient way for them to transmit the data to one another if they were using different family tree programs. That\’s is when GEDCOM came into play.

GEDCOM stands for Genealogy Data Communication. It is a standard file format that most of today\’s genealogy software is able to read. To put it simply, GEDCOM enables you to take your family tree and convert it to text format, thus enabling you to share your family tree information with other genealogists and upload any GEDCOM family tree to the family tree software of your choice (assuming you use a family tree maker that is able to read GEDCOM files).

GEDCOM was developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The church wanted to create a uniform format for exchanging genealogical data to assist with their genealogy research. Further information on the GEDCOM standard can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM

The possibilities offered by today\’s family tree tools are endless. Whether you want a simple and straightforward outline of your immediate family or an in-depth collaboration of your entire bloodline, the family tree tools currently available through websites today are making today\’s family trees some of the most elaborate in history. There has never been a better time to start tracing your own lineage and creating your family\’s illustrated history.

About The Author

Javier Colayco is the founder of TribalJunction.com (http://www.tribaljunction.com), a site that makes it easy to create a family tree and find distant relatives. With additional features like group email, customizable user profiles and more, Tribal Junction also helps families keep in touch.

What is Genealogy?

November 18, 2007 on 5:28 pm | In Amateur Genealogist News | No Comments

By Javier Colayco

Genealogy, generally defined, is the study of one\’s ancestry. However, in actuality, genealogy is much more involved and interesting than its general definition lets on.

When you begin studying genealogy, you realize just how much interesting information your family history can reveal. Genealogy can shed light on where your ancestors came from, where they lived, what they did for a living, who they married and what property they owned.

Almost everyone, whether they realize it or not, has participated in some form of genealogy activity. In grade school, did you ever make a family tree? That\’s genealogy! Genealogy can be as simple as making a record of your family tree from you to your great grandparents or as complex as tracing your entire lineage back to ancient times.

The history of genealogy dates back to the Old Testament of The Bible. In the very first book, the Book of Genesis, we see a family\’s bloodline narrated and the importance of genealogy. The New Testament would later also reflect the importance of genealogy in religion and society. Both the Books of Matthew and Luke outline the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth.

But The Bible is not the only written record that lends credence to the importance of genealogy. Throughout history we find records of disputes, murders and even wars where genealogy played a part in the story. Ties to royalty, rights to inheritances and eligibility for rulership are all tied to a person\’s heritage, and genealogy provides the map that illustrates who has right to what claims.

There are a number of instances throughout history in which genealogy played an important role as certain dramas unfolded before humanity. From something as significant as the lineage of Jesus of Nazareth to something as modernly-trivial as the true father of Anna Nicole Smith\’s daughter, genealogy has oftentimes been at the forefront as history played itself out.

Genealogy also played a large role in England\’s historical claim to the throne of France. King Edward III was a Norman-French descendant. When his uncle, Charles IV of France, passed away Edward tried to lay claim to the French throne.

He tried convincing the powers that be that even though his mother could not lay claim to the throne because she was a woman, she could pass on the bloodline\’s right to the throne, making him the rightful ruler of France. Of course, the descendants of the male side of the bloodline didn\’t agree and the argument eventually led to the Hundred Year\’s War.

England and France aren\’t the only countries to have disputes over who would be the rightful heir of a throne because of genealogy. Rowena\’s, Byzantium, Portugal, and even ancient Egypt all have histories that are rich in bloodline disputes.

Genealogy finds aren\’t all ancient history. Modern genealogy issues have hit the media recently. Al Sharpton\’s recent discovery is proof of the ironies that genealogy may uncover. Mr. Sharpton, who earlier this year stated that he might run for president in 2008, recently discovered through genealogy research that his great-grandfather was a slave owned by none other than Senator Strom Thurman\’s great-great-grandfather. In fact, the two may be related by blood.

Then, of course, there are the less-significant genealogy disputes that don\’t have nearly as much importance as some of these historical and political events, but they get enough media coverage to make them world famous. The true family tree of Anna Nicole Smith\’s daughter is just one instance. Perhaps this dispute over lineage wasn\’t historically significant, but it appears that many found it to be a topic of intense interest.

There are a number of reasons why people pursue genealogy. From something as simple as a mild interest in one\’s family history to something as significant as trying to find the parts of a broken family and piece them back together, the reasons for studying genealogy are numerous.

Genealogy can help a person get in touch with who they really are. You can find out who your ancestors were, what they did, where they lived, and more. By tracing your roots, you not only learn about those in your bloodline who have gone before you, but you can research and gain an understanding of these members of your family that you never had the chance to meet.

While genealogy doesn\’t always dig up buried treasure, it is indeed a possibility. Did you have a rich great uncle who died without any heirs? One you never knew about? If you did, genealogy could help you uncover the details that would help you claim what was rightfully yours.

There have been times throughout history when extreme circumstances split families apart. World War II, for instance, tore brother from sister and mother from child. Genealogy is a tool that can help piece broken families back together and thousands of people have done just that.

Sometimes genealogy is just plain fun. Wouldn\’t it be exciting to find out you were a distant cousin of a famous celebrity, or that your great-great-great-great grandfather was a king? Many times genealogy can uncover interesting and exciting facts about a person\’s family tree.

Genealogy, while always important, didn\’t experience such a widespread explosion in popularity until the advent of the Internet. Gone are the days when researching your family tree meant running from one public records facility to the next, hoping you could find missing pieces to the puzzle by mailing away for information that might never arrive.

With more and more public records being made available online, priceless genealogy information is just a mouse click away and easier than ever to create a fluid family tree. Its no wonder millions of Internet users have started tracing their family lines on the Web. What used to take years to accomplish can now be done in a matter of days or weeks.

With genealogy becoming more and more popular and advanced genealogy tools now so readily available, there really hasn\’t been a better time to get involved. Whether you only want to trace your family history back a few generations or you want to see just how far back you can climb up your family tree, the genealogy tools now available will make the process faster, more efficient and much more enjoyable.

About The Author

Javier Colayco is the founder of TribalJunction.com (http://www.tribaljunction.com), a site that makes it easy to create a family tree and find distant relatives. With additional features like group email, customizable user profiles and more, Tribal Junction also helps families keep in touch.