I thought that this might be a good time to review all of the family tree forms that are available on this website. We all see forms every day. Forms for government, banks, sign-up forms, questionnaires, they are everywhere.
We ignore most of them. However, forms add important structure to our research efforts. The forms themselves will never uncover our ancestor's vital statistics and their stories. But they will help us make sure that we are asking the right questions and carefully recording that information for future use.
On this site we have compiled a number of forms that you can download, modify and use to help you research and document your family's heritage. Here's a brief outline of four forms, how you can use them and a link to download them. Take a few minutes to review each one and decide if they might help you.
One of the most common forms used by amateur and professional genealogists alike is the Personal Information Form. This form pulls together all of the family members of a particular individual on a single form. Important relationships, dates and locations are simply laid out in a straight forward, easy to read manner. This form is sometimes referred to as a Family Information Form or a Family Inquiry Form. These forms are ideal for research when you are away from your computer. It will help ensure that you ask all the right questions and don't miss a single important piece of information.
The Family Tree Chart is probably one of the most recognizable forms in genealogy. This ancestor chart or pedigree chart instantly shows the direct parents and grand parents for as many generations as the page will hold. Sometimes this is the best way to get a sense of the family structure. These forms vary on the amount and type of information that is displayed. Some only include names; others birth dates and locations and death dates and locations. This downloadable file can be modified to show whatever information you think is important to you.
The Research Log can really improve the success of your research. I don't know about you, but my early attempts to use the library resources didn't go so well. I spent a lot of time researching books and archives with very little to show for the effort. I got caught up in interesting articles and detours that used up all my time before I found any real evidence that I was researching. Planning your research trips takes work and this form will help you keep on target. Before you even leave home you know exactly what you want to find. The form even has space provided for you to document your finds in detail so you won't waste time researching the same material over and over again.
The last form that I want to show you is the Census Tracking Form. I have just started using this form myself and am amazed at how easy it is to follow my ancestor's trail over the decades. Many ancestors moved to one location and remained there for decades. Others migrated from one state to another. Before I used the Census Tracking Form I just had notes showing where they were, but it was hard to visualize their movements. The Census Tracking Form put all that information in one place. This downloadable form has the key dates for the American, Canadian and United Kingdom censuses.
Take a few minutes to look at each of these forms and download any that you think will help you research your ancestry. If you see something that you like or have suggestions that we can use to improve these forms please add your comments to this blog.
If you are already a member of All-About-Family-Trees.com, simply click on the "Add new comment" button. If you are not a member yet, take a few minutes and join our growing community and tell us about your family's history. Simply click on the link at the top right of the page, create a username and be sure to signup for our weekly newsletter. As an added bonus, I'll send you a free copy of my e-book '10 "Must Know" Tips to Uncover Your Heritage'.
We all look forward to hearing from you.
