The Two Basic Genealogy Forms

In some countries, many people believe that in order to achieve all the things that you want in life, you must know your roots. People who don’t look back to where they came from can't reach their destination. Well, it's up to you if believe in such sayings.

For many individuals, life is more enriched if they know their roots and who they really are; and your ancestry is not just about names. This is your family's blood line passed on to many generations. Because of this knowledgeable fact, millions of individuals are trying to trace their family's roots through genealogy.

When you're trying to make your own family tree, it would be much easier to have genealogy forms. Genealogists use two basic forms to record all their ancestral information and these are family group sheets and pedigree charts. These forms help people like you in keeping track of all information that you find regarding your family's history in a standard format that can be easily read and understood. The forms are recognized by all genealogists around the globe. The software programs of genealogy forms are all standard.

Pedigree Chart

Most people use pedigree chart. This form starts with you. It then branches out back to display your direct ancestral line. Most of the pedigree charts that you can find cover about four generations with spaces included so that you can enter important dates, marriage, place or birth, and death.

The standard format of a pedigree chart is only eight and a half by eleven inches. There are people who want larger forms and it is also possible to obtain such large forms. These are called ancestral charts, and you can enter more than four generations. However, this kind of form is often not used.

If you want to do more than four generations, you can still make use of the standard form; just make sure that you put reference numbers so that it will be easier for you to follow your family tree.

Family Group Sheet

Another common genealogy form is called the family group sheet. This kind of form focuses more on the family as a single unit. The sheet also has spaces for the name of the couple, their children (if any), and fields to write down the birth, marriage, death, and even burial places of the family members. Lines are included for the children's spouses if they get married, along with sections for sources and comments.

This form is one of the most important tools in genealogy because there is room for your ancestor's children and their spouses. The collateral lines are very important when you're tracing a family tree.

These forms will work best if they are used together. Once you include a marriage on the pedigree chart, you must enter it on the family sheet. The first form only offers a quick glance-look of your tree, but the latter offers further details for each generation of ancestors.

Tracing your roots has never been this easy. If you want to start with your own family adventure, do so now and don’t forget to get both the forms mentioned earlier. These are necessary to make your family tree easier and more specific. Get a copy of the forms on the net and happy tracing.
