The Pedigree or Ancestral Chart is a summary of your family at a glance. It contains basic information about each maternal and paternal generation of your family. Whether you are just beginning your family history or reviewing your research, your pedigree chart is the guide to your family tree.
For beginners, it is helpful to print and complete the form(s) manually before entering the data in a genealogy software program. Filling out the form uniformly will enhance your research and save time later. Sample forms for a four-generation chart are available here.
Names
Write all the names in their natural sequence; First, Middle, SURNAME and title, if any. Example: Samuel J. JONES, Jr.
Some good rules to follow are:
Surnames can be written in all CAPITAL letters.
Always use maiden surnames for women.
Nicknames can be shown in quotation marks or in the notes.
When the surname spelling varies within families or in various years, enter both names with a slash between the names. Example Samuel J. JONES/JONAS
Vital Dates
Handwritten dates should be shown as Day, Month, Year without punctuation. Example 05 Jan 1850
The day and year are written in numbers without punctuation. Abbreviate the month to three letters: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
On handwritten ancestral forms, it may be preferable to spell out the month of June to avoid confusion with January.
Always show all four numbers of the year. When your family tree includes history from several centuries, you will be glad you did. Computer programs can be pre-set so that when entered, they convert automatically to the selected format.
Using Date Abbreviations
When a date is estimated or speculative, it is prefaced by abt (about) or ca (circa, meaning around.) The ‘c’ is not capitalized. This abbreviation can be confused with CA, the postal abbreviation for the state of California.
Begin with the smallest identifying information and continue to the largest, separating entries with commas to show the divisions Example: Chicago, Cook, IL. It is not necessary to repeat the word County. If only the county is known, write it as Cook County, IL.
The space for ‘country’ can be left blank. When all or most of your entries are in the United States, identify all other countries.
Numbering the Handwritten Chart
1. YOU are #1, whether male or female. If married, enter your spouse’s name in the space provided. Complete a separate Pedigree Chart for the spouse where he or she will be #1.
2. Your FATHER is person #2. Paternal entries are shown on the upper line of each generation. Each male generation number is multiplied by 2 and they always have even numbers.
3. Your MOTHER is person #3. Maternal entries are on the lower lines. Each female generation number is multiplied by 2 and then by adding one. They always have odd numbers.
Computer Numbering
Some computer genealogy software programs may be unnumbered or they may assign numbers automatically which do not agree with the manual numbering system described in this lesson. Review the software help section to determine if the numbering system can be shown or modified.
Regardless of the numbering system you choose or use, the Pedigree Chart will be your map to the past.
Chart from image can be found here.
A great primer! If beginners all started off on the right foot on some of these basic protocols, they’d save themselves a lot of grief later! (I speak partly from experience.)