How to Write a Family Tree Skeleton

A family tree skeleton or pedigree tree is used to help chart and record the information you gather when researching your family tree. It is used to organize the starting person's direct ancestors, such as parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so forth. If organized properly, you can easily identify the relationship of an ancestor and which generation they occupy. When making a family tree skeleton, beginning with the first four generations will make the process easier to manage.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Piece of blank legal sized paper
• Pencil
• Ruler

1. Turn the paper horizontally so that its width is 14 inches.

2. Draw four equally spaced columns on the paper, using the ruler as a guide. Each column should be 3.5 inches wide.

3. Draw a horizontal line, 3 inches wide, in the column to the far left, at the center of the page. This line will be 4.25 inches from the top of the page, and be 4.25 inches from the bottom of the page.

4. Number this line "1." Write the number next to the line, to its far right.

5. Draw two horizontal lines, 3 inches wide, in the second column from the far left. Vertically these lines should be placed evenly, so that there should be a little more than 2 inches between each line.

6. Number the top line in the second column "2" and number the second line "3".

7. Write "Father of 1" directly below line 2, in small print. Write "Mother of 1" directly below line 3, in small print.

8. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 2 and 3.

9. Draw four horizontal lines, 3 inches wide, in the third column from the far left. Vertically these lines should be placed evenly, so that there is equal spacing between each line.

10. Number the top line in the third column "4," the second line "5," the third line "6" and the forth line "7."

11. Write "Father of 2" directly below line 4, in small print. Write "Mother of 2" directly below line 5, in small print.

12. Write "Father of 3" directly below line 6, in small print. Write "Mother of 3" directly below line 7, in small print.

13. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 4 and 5. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 6 and 7.

14. Draw eight horizontal lines, 3 inches wide, in the column to the far right. Vertically these lines should be placed evenly, so that there is equal spacing between each line.

15. Write "Father of 4" directly below line 8, in small print. Write "Mother of 4" directly below line 9, in small print.

16. Write "Father of 5" directly below line 10, in small print. Write "Mother of 5" directly below line 11, in small print.

17. Write "Father of 6" directly below line 12, in small print. Write "Mother of 6" directly below line 13, in small print.

18. Write "Father of 7" directly below line 14, in small print. Write "Mother of 7" directly below line 15, in small print.

19. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 8 and 9. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 10 and 11. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 12 and 13. Draw a vertical line connecting lines 14 and 15.

20. Insert the name of the starting person on line 1. If it is your family tree skeleton, then your name would be written here.

21. Insert data as acquired for each person on the family skeleton. This would include full name, dates and place of birth, marriage and death.

Tips & Warnings

• The father is always on the line above the mother.
• When a line says "Father of 2," this means that is the father of the person listed on the line numbered "2."

References

• Center for Family History and Genealogy; PAFT Tutorial; Introduction to Family History
• Ancestry.com; Ancestral Chart
• Ellis Island; Genealogy Learning Center; Charts & Forms