Genealogy Forms – FAMILY HISTORY – A Lifetime of Research

Forms for Genealogy

Author: Robert W. Penry @ 2021

Pedigree Chart

A pedigree chart is used to record the names of your ancestors. The first chart completed always starts with you. You start other charts by starting a new chart for every person that appears at the far right of the chart, placing that person in the starting position of the new chart. As you continue this process, the number of pedigree charts in your file will continue to grow as you find more and more direct ancestors. Everyone on these charts (assuming you were the starting person) will be a direct ancestor (grandfather/grandmother)

In the illustration above, you will notice that at the far left there is a line with a line under that doesn’t connect anywhere else. This bottom line is for you spouse – your ancestors are not your spouse’s. The next column with two lines is for your parents, the next column has four lines (your grandparents), the next eight (great-grandparents), etc.

Most pedigree charts have room for either five or six generations. However, you can purchase big wall size charts that contain as many as fifteen generations.

Any genealogy computer program will have the ability to print blank pedigree charts or will print completed ones based on information you input into the program. If you do not have a genealogy program, consider downloading a free program. Google “free genealogy programs”

Family Group Sheet

A family group sheet is completed for every family in your files. One is completed for you and your spouse and children. One is completed for the family of each of your siblings. Another is completed for your parents. Another for each aunt and uncle. As you file grows you will eventually have hundreds or thousands of family group sheets. However, these can also be displayed in a genealogy computer program and many people doing family research do not make printed copies except for immediate family or direct line ancestors because of cost and space needed to file the documents.

Any genealogy computer program will have the ability to print blank family group sheets or will print completed ones based on information you input into the program. If you do not have a genealogy program consider, downloading one of those mentioned on my Basic Genealogy page, or Google “Free Genealogy Programs”

There are many styles of charts other than the ones shown above. Pedigrees can be shown in fan charts and on pictures of trees, etc. Depending on the source, there are many iterations of these forms. Google “Family History Charts” and select images and you will see dozens of examples. In addition to the above charts, there are forms for recording information during your research and forms for extracting census information. There are many free forms and of course many for sale.