September 1999

Any beginner's reference on genealogy will say to start by completing a pedigree chart. If you go to a genealogical library and ask for help, the librarian will often ask to see your pedigree chart. What IS a pedigree chart? Most people associate pedigrees with pure-bred show animals. Well, in genealogy, it's much the same idea.

Let's start with a few definitions. For the purposes of this discussion regarding genealogy, we'll use the following definitions (from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1989):

• Ahnentafel - "ancestor table" (rough translation from German, not in Webster's)
• Bloodline - a sequence of direct ancestors, particularly in a pedigree
• Chart - a sheet giving information in tabular form
• Generation - a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor
• Immigrant - a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence
• Pedigree - a register recording a line of ancestors
• Vital Events - recording data relating to lives

A genealogical pedigree chart tracks any individual's bloodline back through the generations. It does not show siblings or step-parents - only the birth parents of each succeeding ancestor. [NOTE: for an adopted child, a special "pedigree" chart is sometimes created to show the legal ancestry of the child, but this is not the true pedigree chart since it does not reflect the bloodlines.]

What should be included on a pedigree chart?

• The full name of each person [note, as in most genealogical records, women are listed by their birth name, not their married name]
• Date and place of birth
• Date and place of death
• Date and place of marriage (note that this is the marriage of the individuals on the chart - other marriages of either party are not relevant to the pedigree of the descendant)

The above items are essential. There are, however, a few additional pieces of information I like to include as well:

• An indication of any immigrant ancestor (I use a colored dot to indicate the country of origin)
• An indication of documentation. If I have secondary source information only, I don't consider that documented, but I may add the information to my pedigree chart in pencil, indicating it is a speculation or "rumor" to be verified. [See "Who Says So?" my Pilgrims, Pioneers and Aliens column from August 1999 for information on documentation.] Once it's documented properly, it could be written in ink (I don't) or add a checkmark to indicate that the proof is in the file. Some printed forms even have a box to check - I like that a lot!
• The ahnentafel number for each person on the chart. This also helps in numbering successive charts once your lines begin extending further back. The ahnentafel system is simple and straightforward, making it ideal for this purpose. It works like this:
• The first person (usually on the left side of the chart) is #1. Note I recommend that if you have children, make them #1 as a group, so that you have only one set of numbers to track, rather than duplicate numbers for you and your spouse.
• On the line just above and to the right, #1's father is indicated with #2. Just below him is #1's mother with #3.
• For each person, the person just above and to the right is always the father with a number that is two times the child. That is, #2's father is #4; #7's father is #14.
• The person to the right and below each person is the mother. Her number is always two times the child plus one (or one more than her spouse). That is, #2's mother is #5 (2 times 2 plus 1 or 4 plus 1). #7's mother is #15 (2 times 7 plus 1 or 14 plus 1). Either way of calculating works the same in every case.
• Continue numbering this way to the edge of the chart.
• If more ancestors are known for anyone in the last column on the chart (for example person #8), start a new chart, with that person in the first position. This time, however, the person is NOT #1 - the number remains #8, and you continue the same numbering system as above. These are called cascading pedigree charts, since they could (if they fit) be placed next to each other to create one huge chart.
• For numbering and filing the charts, I use the number of the person on the left of each. That is, chart #1 begins with person #1, chart #8 begins with person #8, etc. I can then file them in numerical order and they will be in order by generations, without needing a cross-reference table. Since the numbers never repeat, they are easy to keep in sequence. Remember, you do NOT want to create a separate chart for each person, only for those at the far right of a chart. Creating charts for individiausl in the middle is redundant, and I don't know about you, but I sure have better ways to spend that extra time! I also indicate to the right of an individual if there is another chart, so I know immediately if that line continues.

All of the good genealogy computer programs will print pedigree charts for you. Be aware that they may not number the way you want (or at all). Many of them will also print blanks that you can use for drafts or as spares on research trips.

You will often have an option of how many generations to include on your chart (usually 4 or 5). It's a matter of personal preference, of course, but two factors to consider:

1. Be consistent. You will only confuse yourself if you switch back and forth, or have part of a generation one way but the rest another. Pick one style and stay with it!
2. The more generations, the less room there is for data on the end generations. In most examples I've seen, there's room for full information on the first four generations, but if there's a fifth, there's room only for dates (if that). Anything beyond five generations is just names. I use four-generation charts consistently.

Why use a pedigree chart at all? Using a pedigree chart gives a quick, visual summary of ancestry You can see several important things at a glance:

• Where are the gaps?
• Missing names
• Missing dates
• Missing places
• What are the migration patterns?
• Sites of vital events show where individuals were at specific points in time
• Where the various families came together and may give clues that they migrated from similar locations
• Where was I?
• Use a copy of your pedigree chart(s) as a checklist when undertaking a major review or housekeeping effort. For example, if you discover a great new resource (maybe a new internet search engine), you can check off as you search for each individual to avoid missing anyone or repeating your efforts.
• Are we related?
• You can compare notes with new contacts to see where your lines might connect
• You can easily see whether we have the same basic information on common ancestors to start discussions on the details

As with everything in life, pedigree charts are NOT the answer to everything. Their advantages are also their weaknesses:

• They show limited information
• They show direct line only
• They do not show sources

So, use pedigree charts wisely and they can become your new best friend (sorry, Fido)!

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