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Fill out Your Family Template the Easy Way

Have you ever felt confused about how to fill out a Family Tree Template?

• Wondered what the numbers mean?
• Who you should include?
• Where to start?

 

 

Here are a few simple rules to follow that will have you filling out your Family Template in no time.

Family Template Rule #1 = YOU

Always start with yourself. Your name goes in the number one spot on the chart along with your vital statistics information such as when and where you were born. A space for the place and date of your marriage should be below that and if you look down many Family Tree Templates include an area to record the name of your spouse and children.

Family Template Rule #2 = MEN

Slightly indented and up from spot number one you should find the numbers two. This is where you will record your fathers name and information.

The rule if thumb:

• The males in your family will always have even numbers (2,4,6,8)
• The males in your family will always follow the upper track on a family template.

Family Template Rule #3 = WOMEN

Slightly indented and below number one you will find the number three spot

The Rule of thumb:

• The maternal lines of your family will always have odd numbers (3,5,7,9)
• The maternal lines of your family will always follow the bottom track on a Family Tree Template

Family Template Rule #4 = Generations

If you follow these rules through every generation, you will never be confused again. However, wait we are not quite finished yet. If you look on the upper left hand corner of your Family Template, you will notice a little box that says, “Chart#”.  This area is needed for when you family tree goes beyond the number of generations on the chart.

Rule of Thumb:

• The template that includes you and your immediate family is always number one
• Number your Family Tree Templates consecutively to avoid confusion. For example if you were starting on a seventh generation, you would need to begin another Family Template and that template would be number two.

Note: Just below the “Chart #” box, there is a space that says “Note: “1” on this chart is the same as ____ on chart ____. This section is to help keep you organized when working with multiple Family Tree forms.  For example if you were making a desendance report, this gives you a quick reference to where you can be found in the report.

Family Template Rule #5 = Documentation

All good genealogy research endeavors to document findings with copies or originals of birth, marriage and death records.

Rule of Thumb:

• Use a pencil to fill out the names for individuals for which you do not have documentation
• Use a pen to fill out the names for individuals for which you do have documentation

Family Template Rule #6 = Extended Family

Your Family Template is for your direct line of ancestry

Rule of Thumb:

• Uncles, aunts and cousins are not included on your Family Tree Template.

Here is a visual cue to help you get started (Click for a larger view)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you are ready to begin filling in your family’s generations all you need is a Family Tree Template, just follow this link and download your FREE FAMILY TEMPLATE today.

 

“Finding Your Roots” Premiers Sunday

Mark your calendars for Sunday March 25 8pm EDT to watch the premier of “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Perhaps what makes “Finding Your Roots” one of the most interesting celebrity genealogy programs to date is the element of surprise as Gates escorts his guests through some shocking revelations in search of their ancestors.

 

Each episode features the genealogy of two or more celebrities. With the help of some leading American Genealogists, Family History experts and DNA samples. The show often links guests together in surprising ways using Autosomal DNA.

Scientists Joanna Mountain and Mike Macpherson of “23and Me” (genetics testing company) worked with “Finding Your Roots” to come up with some often-astonishing results.  Proving relationships by degrees such as 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th cousins (or more) is accomplished using the genetics company’s “Relative Finder” test.

This seasons 10 part series features a celebrity Line up of:

·         Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis

·         Cory Booker and John Lewis

·         TV Personalities Barbera Walters and Geoffrey Canada

·         Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick

·         Angela Buchdahl, Rick Warren and Yasir Qadhi

·         Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice and Ruth Simmons

·         Actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey, Jr.

·         Sanjay Gupta, Margaret Cho and Martha Stewart

·         John Legend, Wanda Sykes and Margarett Cooper

·         Michelle Rodriguez, Adrian Grenier and Linda Chavez

Watch Preview on PBS. See more from Finding Your Roots.

Free Immigration Records: Ellis Island Site Calls for Help

These days genealogy sites that give free access to records are few and far between.  One of the few sites that do provide free use is The Ellis Island Immigration site. If you have used the Ellis Island site to find your ancestors immigration records you already know what a valuable resource it is to family tree climbers. Can you imagine what a tragedy it would be to the genealogy community if that access were lost?

 

 

This week a story in The Tribune Star by Tamie Dehler, calls out on behalf of the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation. The foundation, responsible for making free immigration records available to genealogists and family history researchers is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on public support for continued free access to these important records.

In their message to the public, the foundation says:

“In order to continue to provide free access to our valuable archive of immigration records … we need to ask our friends to step in and play a part with a critically needed contribution. For more than 10 years, these immigration records have been free for you to explore. But our site and content are costly to maintain, operate day-to-day, and continually improve. We’re a non-profit, so your tax-deductible contribution is essential to our work. And in tough times like these, whatever donation you make goes even further than you can imagine in keeping Ellis Island Online free.”

Your support in the form of a yearly membership will help The Statue of Liberty-
Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. keep this invaluable service open to genealogists. Membership costs total $45.00 per year and are 100% tax deductible.

Visit The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc and support the foundation that has helped so many.

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

Genealogy Brick Walls: Look In the Unlikely Places

Hitting a brick wall in your family tree is an extremely frustrating experience for every family tree enthusiast from the novice to the advanced.  Especially after, you have spent hours combing through all of the obvious records.  When you have already checked the church records, civil records, obituaries, newspaper archives, immigration records and census…do not give up. Just realize that it is time to pull out your shovel and start digging deeper.

In short, after you have looked in all of the likely places the only places left to check are the unlikely ones.

Genealogy in the Unlikely Places

The unlikely places are usually the ones you ruled out your first time through. You may be very surprised at how much information you can find by looking in records that seemed irrelevant or illogical to your family tree research.

Finding Ancestors in Land Records

You have ruled this out because your ancestor did not own land, but did you know you could still find the record of a lease for a tenant farmer or rental agreement for your Great, Great Grandma’s city home.

Your Family Tree and Depositions

You have probably already checked the immigration records to see if your ancestors changed their name upon landing in the new country. However, did you know that many immigrants did not change their names until they were already naturalized citizens? If your ancestor decided to change their name after becoming a naturalized citizen, you would find this information in court records as depositions.

Name changes of this type often happened because immigrants felt a foreign name made their lives more difficult in their new home. If your ancestor has pulled a disappearing act, searching depositions for name changes would be a good place to start.

Historical Societies and Genealogy

Your local historical society (or the local historical society where your ancestor lived) may hold the clues you have been looking for. Historical societies are notorious for holding little known documents and unpublished works that are only listed within their collection.

One Family Tree Search is Never Enough

Newspaper archives may be something you have already checked. Nevertheless, you should try them again. Many genealogy beginners give up far too soon on this information source by stopping at a single search type. Any search of a newspaper archive should be undertaken with three search strategies.

1. Search by Name
2. Search by Date
3. Search by Location

A newspaper can hold so much information in a single issue that not all names are indexed. That is why a three-tier search is necessary.

Although sometimes a brick wall in your genealogy research is due to records being lost in fires and wars, poor preservation and/or the records were simply not kept. The biggest problem with brick walls is that family enthusiasts either give up too soon or just don’t know where to look next.  Should you have any questions or want a little extra help tackling your brick wall, please feel welcome to post your questions to the Ask a Genealogist forum. Genealogy Beginner looks forward to hearing from you.

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

 

Genealogy Brick Walls: Look In the Unlikely Places

Hitting a brick wall in your family tree is an extremely frustrating experience for every family tree enthusiast from the novice to the advanced. Especially after, you have spent hours combing through all of the obvious records. When you have already checked the church records, civil records, obituaries, newspaper archives, immigration records and census…do not give up. Just realize that it is time to pull out your shovel and start digging deeper.

In short, after you have looked in all of the likely places the only places left to check are the unlikely ones.

 

Genealogy in the Unlikely Places

The unlikely places are usually the ones you ruled out your first time through. You may be very surprised at how much information you can find by looking in records that seemed irrelevant or illogical to your family tree research.

Finding Ancestors in Land Records

You have ruled this out because your ancestor did not own land, but did you know you could still find the record of a lease for a tenant farmer or rental agreement for your Great, Great Grandma’s city home.

Your Family Tree and Depositions

You have probably already checked the immigration records to see if your ancestors changed their name upon landing in the new country. However, did you know that many immigrants did not change their names until they were already naturalized citizens? If your ancestor decided to change their name after becoming a naturalized citizen, you would find this information in court records as depositions.

Name changes of this type often happened because immigrants felt a foreign name made their lives more difficult in their new home. If your ancestor has pulled a disappearing act, searching depositions for name changes would be a good place to start.

Historical Societies and Genealogy

Your local historical society (or the local historical society where your ancestor lived) may hold the clues you have been looking for. Historical societies are notorious for holding little known documents and unpublished works that are only listed within their collection.

One Family Tree Search is Never Enough

Newspaper archives may be something you have already checked. Nevertheless, you should try them again. Many genealogy beginners give up far too soon on this information source by stopping at a single search type. Any search of a newspaper archive should be undertaken with three search strategies.

1. Search by Name
2. Search by Date
3. Search by Location

A newspaper can hold so much information in a single issue that not all names are indexed. That is why a three-tier search is necessary.

Although sometimes a brick wall in your genealogy research is due to records being lost in fires and wars, poor preservation and/or the records were simply not kept. The biggest problem with brick walls is that family enthusiasts either give up too soon or just don’t know where to look next. Should you have any questions or want a little extra help tackling your brick wall, please feel welcome to post your questions to the Ask a Genealogist forum. Genealogy Beginner looks forward to hearing from you.

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

 

Genealogy Brick Walls: The Problem of Names

Nothing can stop your family tree research in its tracks like not being able to find your ancestors records. Usually, this boils down to the big four problems of names.

 

 

 

1. Common names give too many options
2. Spelling variations lead to confusion
3. Misspellings can frustrate your efforts
4. Indexing errors…are a fact of genealogy research

Brick Wall Problems with Common Names

The issue with common names is that they offer too many possibilities. If your ancestor is Joe Smith or Ole Olson your main question is going to be which one is mine? For example, a quick search for Ole Oleson, born 1830 in Rendalen, Norway, returns 632 records. You are going to need to employ some hard-core search strategies to find your Ole Oleson.

Brick Wall Problems with Spelling Variations and Spelling Mistakes

At the time of the early census there was no standardization for the spelling of names, consequently names were often spelled phonetically. Add to this the fact that not everyone had access to education (your ancestor may not have been able to spell or write their name) and it is not hard to imagine why we come up with so many variations on a single surname.

Another common problem of the time was simple human error. Spelling mistakes occurred frequently and for the same reasons as stated above. Additionally, immigrant ancestors may not have had a strong enough grasp of English to catch errors or perhaps the census taker had a difficult time understanding them.

On the other hand, they may have altered their name to a more anglicized version or changed it altogether.

Brick Wall Problems with Indexing Errors

Thank goodness for the volunteers who spend hours transcribing documents, these wonderful people are the ones responsible for making records readily available to family tree enthusiasts. I would never fault them for their efforts.  If you have ever spent time as a volunteer indexer you would agree, old writing is sometimes so faded or illegible that mistakes are unavoidable.

In spite of the problem of names, brick walls can be annihilated. Here are a few approaches you can use to overcome them.

Brick Wall Genealogy General Rules of Thumb:

• Use Wild Card and Boolean searches
• Make a list of all possible spellings of your ancestor’s surname
• Find an ancestor with an uncommon first name and search with that to find your family
• Combine your search to include a spouse’s name

Common names, surname variants, misspellings and indexing errors while problematic are not insurmountable. Using some of the above brick wall tips combined with a sound research strategy read (Brick Wall Breakthroughs for Genealogy Beginners) will give you the tools to break down your brick wall and move forward with your research. Join us in the forum Ask a Genealogist where you will find four key strategies to solving your brick wall problem with names.

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

Brick Wall Breakthroughs for Genealogy Beginners

Brick wall busting is all about problem solving and detective work. However before you can begin to break down your brick wall you need to define exactly what the problem is.

 

 

 

The top four most common causes of brick walls:

Unable to identify your ancestors parents

Trouble discovering your ancestors country of origin

Researching an ancestor with a common surname

Finding an ancestor that has disappeared from the records

Your brick wall may even stem from a combination of the above and that can feel like an overwhelming challenge to the genealogy beginner.  What you need are the tools and strategies to keep you from being overwhelmed and that is the first step towards solving your brick wall problem.

Developing Your Brick Wall Search Strategy

A good search strategy for brick walls comes down to initiating three core actions:

Review your data

Chart your information

Map your locations

 

Review Genealogy Your Data
Even if you have looked over your data a hundred times…do it again. The reason for implementing this strategy is to find the holes or weak points in your brick wall. For example, large time gaps between children are a big red flag; they indicate an area you need to look into more intensely.  Locating the areas where you have gaps in your information will give you leads.

Chart Your Genealogy Research
After you have reviewed your information, chart it. Charting your research will give you an overview that can help you analyze information and spot gaps. A records checklist is one of the best charting strategies, although there are several you can work from to help achieve your goals.

Map Your Locations
In addition to charting your research, another helpful search strategy is mapping. You may find that mapping your family tree will help you understand a little more about your ancestor’s lives as well as assist you in breaking down a brick wall.


Old Maps and Genealogy

Locating and using old maps can be a valuable resource for making a brick wall breakthrough.

• Understanding where county boundaries existed
• Noting border changes
• Discovering old place names that no longer exist
• Understanding the topography (through this you may learn how your ancestors traveled).

All of these things will point you in new directions and help you to discover record sources you may not otherwise consider. Additionally, knowing the lay of the land back then can lead you to the governing body that holds the records today.

Plotting Your Genealogy Research Map
Knowing your ancestors residences, where their children were born, where their spouse was born and where their relatives lived can help fill in gaps. The best way to develop a strong concept of this is to plot a map listing all of these locations.

Lanarkshire Map 1796

When you have finished plotting your historic map, plot a modern one, and then compare them for missing parishes or towns as well as county border changes.

Modern Lanarkshire Map

Once you have all of your information charted and mapped out, you will be prepared to make a full and comprehensive search that should help you break your brick wall.

Charting and mapping are only a few of the strategies you can use to help solve your brick wall problems. Genealogy Beginner will be bringing you more invaluable brick wall strategies very soon. For now, join us in the Ask a Genealogist forum and find more tips on charting your research.

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

How to Cite Family Tree Information Sources

As a family tree enthusiast, you are probably aware that your genealogical information comes from multiple places such as government agencies, Old Parish Records, monumental inscriptions, online genealogy sites, books and newspapers. No matter where you found the information about your ancestors it is simply good practice to cite your sources. The basics of citing a source are simple.

 

 

Citing a Genealogy Source Consists of Naming:

• Who created the source (publisher, historical society, government agency)
• What the source was titled (John O’ Groat’s Journal)
• When the information was created (copyright or year of publication)
• Where the information was created (State, County, and/or name of publisher)
• How you found it (name of repository or archive)
• Why it is a good source (primary, secondary or tertiary source)

Citing sources is particularly important if you plan to publish your family tree to the internet and it helps all of us involved in family tree research to sort out the reliable information from assumptions and guesswork.

Citing Sources for the Genealogy Beginner Citing sources can also be time consuming and confusing if you are not familiar with how to cite properly a source of genealogical information. For starters, here are some general helps and guidelines to citing a source.

Genealogy Citation Guidelines:

• <angle brackets> are for internet addresses <https://www.genealogybeginner.com/>
• [brackets] are for descriptive information
• Information about publishers should be in
• (parentheses)

Always cite exactly what you have found along with where you found it If you have doubts either leave it out or note is as a supposition.

For example in the case of a Monumental Inscription:

PETER SINCLAIR, CATHERINE CALDER  Erected By Peter Sinclair In Memory Of His Wife Catherine Calder Who Died At Greentoft, 21st March 1905, Aged 72 Years. Also Peter Sinclair, Born At Cleat, Sanday, 12th June 1830, Died At Greentoft, Eday, 3rd January 1917

Citation:

Orkney Family History Society , “Orkney Graveyard Search for: Sinclair in Eday & Pharay, Old Kirkyard, St Marys, Eday Orkney” (Orkney Family History Society ) [Ray Millar ] <http://www.orkneyfhs.co.uk/mis/minscriptions.php?opt=gyard&gref=151&surname=Sinclair> Report date: 04/03/12

note: Eday, Orkney, Scotland:  Eday Old Kirkyard, Orkney, Scotland Plot: 329

It also helps to become familiar with the abbreviations used in citing your family tree information sources along with the standard formats used. Standard

Abbreviations for Genealogical Citations

Standard Format for Online Genealogical Citations

Citing your sources will give you the confidence to publish your family tree knowing that all of your hard work is beyond reproach. You can learn more about the importance of citing your family tree research and genealogy best practices in Genealogy Beginner’s Lesson 1: The Big Five Genealogy standards and guidelines: what you need to know first

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

Tracing Female Ancestors

At one time genealogy only focused on the paternal line, following son to father and so on; with the singular focus of a constant surname followed through time. While the contribution of women to the continuation of the species was recognized, it was sadly neglected in terms of genealogical research.

Following descent from the maternal line was considered to be of little account. Thankfully, those days are gone.

 

The Biggest Family Tree

Researching maternal lines is every bit as rewarding, important and deserving of recognition, it is after all half of your heritage.

Nothing makes this point more clear than the amazing research done by National Geographic and IBM on the Genographic Project. A study that began much the same way as any family tree project does. With the question, where do we come from? Of course, the question in this case is directed towards the human species as a whole.

The project, which focuses on tracing the migration, patterns of man from our earliest origins does it through the use of Mitochondrial DNA. DNA that can only be passed on from mother to child. Therefore, when it comes to the biggest family tree project of all it looks like the maternal line is finally getting the respect it deserves.

Genealogy Records for Women

In truth, more and more researchers are taking an interest in tracing their maternal roots. While researching female ancestors is rewarding it is also challenging, as women were virtually invisible in terms of leaving a paper trail.

Women did not:

• Own property in their own names
• Pay taxes
• Sign their names to legal documents
• Register to vote.

All these documents commonly used to trace male ancestors are of little use when hunting our elusive matriarchs. Despite this, our female ancestors did have records that were specific to women such as family bibles and diaries; additionally, they were registered either civilly or in a church at birth or baptism, marriage and death and they were recorded in the census. The main thing you need to know about researching your maternal line(s) is that it comes down to following an ever-changing trail of maiden names.

To take the tutorial “Tracing your female Ancestors: Documents and Research Techniques” join us on the Genealogy in General forum.

 

Image Credit: Ramona Hartley

“Who Do You Think You Are”, Episodes 1 & 2: Family Lore

“Who Do You Think You Are” begins each episode by saying “To know who you are, you have to know where your story began”.  Those words could not ring truer than in the first two episodes of season three.

 

 

 

Episode One: Martin Sheen

With a colorful history of his own, Mr. Sheen has made headlines for his efforts as a civil activist supporting issues from liberal politics to environmental concerns. It was hardly a surprise to learn that his passionate outspoken nature may stem from ancestral roots on both sides of his family.

Mr. Sheen begins his genealogy journey with a little family lore. The subject of this family tree investigation is Michael Phelan, an uncle on his mother’s side, who was reportedly a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.

To help Mr. Sheen uncover the truth behind the family tale, “Who Do You Think You Are” applies a number of research methods and utilizes all relevant resources.

In the first part of this episode, we see genealogical research conducted through an examination of:

Online databases such as Ancestry.com to view digital images of civil records

A Visit to Dublin’s Military Archives to dig up an application for pension

Consultation with an expert on the Irish Civil War

A visit to a prison where Mr. Sheen’s activist uncle was incarcerated during the war

 

The discoveries made during this systematic process uncovered an unexpected truth. For years, Mr. Sheen’s family had believed that their legendary ancestor fought on the side of the IRA. However, his visit to the Military Archives revealed that Michael Phelan actually fought for the opposing side…the Irish National Army.

Episode Two: Marisa Tomei

Marisa Tomei was the guest on the second episode of “Who Do You think You Are” season three.  In this episode family lore also plays a big part in the Tomei family’s desire to dig in to their past.

The subject of the story is Marisa’s Great Grandfather Leopoldo, who was murdered for uncertain reasons. Family legend hints that the murder was motivated by a possible love affair or a debt he owed, shedding an unflattering light on this notorious ancestor.

As the Tomei story unfolds, “Who Do You Think You Are” takes us on a trip to Italy where Marisa wades through a maze of documents, research resources and consultations with experts who help her to examine:

Newspaper archives

Church registries

Municipal records

Historical Archives

Court Documents

 

However, before she leaves Marissa visits her mother who has uses a well know genealogy database to make a family tree.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable components of family tree research is the family history aspect. Learning the truth behind stories passed from generation to generation. Often these stories have a grain of truth, rarely is it ever the whole truth as we see in the first two episodes of season three.

If you missed this episode of “Who Do You Think You Are”, join us in the forum The Discovery Panel for a link to where you can watch the episode online free.  You didn’t think I was going to ruin the ending did you?  Also, join us for a genealogy research tip based on the first two episodes.

Image Credit: Rav 7 Via Photobucket

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