Rabu, 25 Oktober 2017

Genealogy: Family Tree Creation and The Secrets of Genealogy Using Online Tools and Resources

Genealogy, the study of family trees as a means of investigating our lineages and our roots, has been with us for a long time. It would probably be safe to say that much of today's written history exists because people many centuries ago took the trouble to research and record their family history.

But why, as a person living today, would anyone want to study his or her family genealogy?

What would be the inspiration for family tree creation today?

It is the very same as generations ago. People want to know where they came from; from whom they are descended. They want to know if the way they live today is in any way determined by the way those in their family lived before them. In that way, genealogy holds great secrets.

To study genealogy, you can get started with a basic family tree, a structure showing you simply who was in your family and when, and this can be for as many generations back as you can trace. From this tree, you move on to know their stories. That's the genealogical part. The stories are rich, and many times you will learn of people who lived before you who had inspiring stories.

Genealogy has also been embraced by science because it can be very telling to trace the history of a family. Many diseases are curable today because medical scientists have been able to study those who suffered from particular diseases and those who didn't. The answers to some diseases have been found in making comparisons and looking at the differences in generation's lifestyles.

Socially, genealogy has played a huge part in reuniting people who have been separated by migration. Many wars the world over have caused people to flee for their lives and become separated from their families. The tragedy of death and separation in the 2nd world war that befell the Jews was helped along in its healing by the fact that many people were reunited with family. Without family trees and genealogy, many reunions would not have happened.

Fortunately, today, because of the Internet, family tree creation has become much easier than it ever was. It is even possible to find your family tree online. There are databases today where you will find volumes of data that you can use to feed family trees. Relatives of yours, whom you may not even know, are recorded in these databases and that makes it possible for you to come up with more extensive family trees than ever before.

You will find websites online that offer you software that you can use to construct a family tree. You will get lots of tools that can all contribute to making your family tree and genealogy really rich. You will get instructions as well on how best to go about the process. The best part is that you can buy your own domain and host your tree there - all you have to do is direct your family to the site with a link and you will be able to share the information.

As you can see, all it takes is for you to find out a few names from back generations in your family and go online; from there, you will pretty much be able to construct a family tree and a genealogy that can give you and your family a history of who you are.

Rabu, 11 Oktober 2017

Family Tree Templates - Why You Need Genealogy Family Tree Templates

A printable blank family tree template is a concise place to store vital information about your ancestors and keep it all in a portable, easy to read format. With the increasing popularity of genealogy research and the range of tools available, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Knowing how tools like family tree templates work and how you can use them makes your genealogy research much more enjoyable.

When you research your genealogy, there can be a lot of information to record and keep track of so it makes sense you will need a method of organizing your findings. Before you download the family tree templates and start to add your information, it's important that you understand the principles behind these family tree charts.

Genealogy researchers have devised a standard method of completing the charts. If you follow the methods, it will be easy for anyone reading your information to follow your ancestral path without questions. There is also the numbering system, used in genealogy research, which you need to be familiar with as well.

Benefits of Using Family Tree Templates
o Organizing your information on a template is easy
o No matter how much information you have, there is a family tree template to meet your need
o Helps you keep track of your progress
o At a glance, you can see where you are missing data
o With the click of the mouse, you can get a printed copy

Types of Family Tree Template Charts
There are 2 basic types of charts used to record family genealogy.
I. Ascendant Charts
II. Descendant Charts

Ascendant Charts
Ascendant is defined as "inclining or moving upward," "ancestor." Simply put this family tree chart is used to feature your ancestor. The first space at the bottom of the chart is for your information. Then you trace your family history back through the generations.

There are two types of ascendant charts:
i. Pedigree Chart
ii. Ahnentafel - German ancestry table

The Pedigree Chart
This is the most common type of family tree template chart in use. You use it to record the information for a single person. Let's say you want to chart your family history, you start with your name at the bottom (in position 1 on the chart). Then you add your mother's information on one side and your father's information on the other side. It doesn't include spouses and siblings. It's a simple child->mother & father relational outline. You can also use it to trace only one parental relationship. For example, you can use it to trace only your mother's side of your family.

The Ahnentafel German Ancestry Table
I agree, this is a difficult word to pronounce.
An Ahnentafel (German for ancestor table) or Ahnenreihe (ancestor series) is a genealogical numbering system that allows you to list a person's ancestors in a particular numbered order.
Here is how the table works:

o The subject of the Ahnentafel is listed as #1,
o father as #2 and
o mother as #3,
o Grandparents as #4 to #7, and so on back through the generations.

In this type of family tree template chart, any person's father has double that person's number, and a person's mother has double the person's number plus one. Apart from #1, who can be male or female, all even-numbered persons are male, and all odd-numbered persons are female.

When you use this system, it makes it easier to understand the different familial relationships, without having to write the entire list of names.

The Descendant Chart
It's best to refrain from using the descendant family tree chart if you are a beginner. These charts are more suitable for more advanced researchers. The person is position one is usually your ancestor. If you haven't done any research, you won't have a name to enter here.

Descendant charts are more commonly used when you are trying to find the first person in your family to live in a particular country (immigration records are vital) or live in a particular region (county records).

Family Group Sheets
A family group sheet is a basic genealogical worksheet. Use it to collect data for one family unit, which includes:
- Husband
- Wife
- Children

You should record the following family events for each member:
- Dates and places of birth
- Dates and places of marriage
- Dates and places of death
- Burial place

The worksheets also have extra space to add the date and place of the marriage of children.