answers1: I have always used Binders. I separated Maternal and
Paternal Genealogy in the beginning and then filed by generation.
When that got overwhelming. I divided the paternal binders by
Grandparents and then generation. I now have an overwhelming number
of binders. They are first color coded, then divided by Maternal and
Paternal lineage. So all my Mothers line is pink and all my fathers
are blue. I have also divided the generations I have my
GG-Grandparents on my Paternal side separated by Surname and I have
created an INDEX for the binders. <br>
Each surname is listed as a header, under that are the given names and
exactly where they are located. That binder is only 1" and is not
very easy to maintain. It also allows me to keep the maternal and
paternal lineage separate even where the same surname appears in
both.
answers2: the best part about a 3 ring binder is that you can CHANGE
to suit what you find workable. Here's how I see a binder system. It
is not a surname.. it is the PERSON, with his/her ancestry going back.
Pretend you are the person, John Smith. John is the "title" of the
binder. You could use HIS 4 generation pedigree chart as the table of
contents, then have 8 dividers, one for each of the 8 gr grandparents
who are on the right side of that chart. You could have a family group
sheet for each of the couples...which logically would be the document
for that husband (it would include his wife/children). I would file
the most important documents with the tab for THAT PERSON. You don't
need all the docs for all cousins, since you don't descend from them.
You only DESCEND from the specific persons/couple on your pedigree
chart. <br>
Genealogy normally is finding your ANCESTORS BACK. Not an ancestor and
all the desc. (which can be overwhelming, and may not affect your
research). I like this because pks of 8 dividers are easy to find, and
"fit" a pedigree chart. The pedigree chart would be IN FRONT of the
dividers and = the "table of contents". If you have a gr grandparent
who you get more info on.. then that gr grandparent can graduate to
his/her own binder, own pedigree chart. Ideally.. then you have YOU
for the original binder, and perhaps will later have 8 more binders,
for a total of 9 binders total. <br>
IF you decide that you want to pick a couple as the focus (John Smith
and Mary Jones family), then the family group sheet serves as your
"table of contents", and you could have a divider for each child, and
their immediate children. Many of us have filing cabinets full of
papers after years of work.. and at that point, binders are not always
feasible. <br>
The pedigree chart and family group sheet are the BASE charts used in
genealogy, and provide a framework. If you have not seen them, google
them to see how they are set up. You can print blank ones for
worksheets.. or if using a genealogy program, it will generate those.
<br>
ps <br>
I just won't agree with someone saying "use surname". The surname is
attached to specific persons, always.
answers3: I suggest you learn the Ahnentafel numbering system. It is
easy to learn (well reasonably), and the beauty of it is that it gives
you slots for people about whom you may, as yet, know nothing. For
example, you may know your ancestor's name is Joe Blow, but you have
no information about his wife who is your ancestor too. You can save a
space -- or really just reserve the appropriate number -- for her.
Moreover, you know (or can figure out) what the number should be for
Joe's father, his maternal grandfather, or any other of his (and your)
ancestors no matter what their surnames were or even if their surnames
are unknown. Just break up the numbers into binders or folders or
filing cabinet drawers at convenient points, depending upon how much
information you may have. <br>
<br>
(When you find cousin marriages, and everyone does if he goes far
enough back, you will have individuals who have two or more numbers.
Just file their information with the lower number and add
cross-references where the other numbers occur.) <br>
<br>
I would then add descendant information under the nearest common
ancestor. Wendy C is right that you can go crazy trying to make this
information comprehensive, but you probably do want to be able to
place cousins you know or you have heard of. Unfortunately there is no
convenient numbering system for descendant organization because you
cannot assume how many children a person may have. Therefore you
probably need to maintain a cousin cross-index. Always relate cousins
and other collateral relatives to one reference person (the proband)
which will be you (unless you are working up someone else). This may
seem egocentric, but it makes it much easier to follow if all
relationships point to the person. <br>
<br>
Family histories, of course, are generally organized by descent. While
there is no easy numbering system for this, surname organization does
not make much sense since so many of the subjects will have the same
surname.
answers4: I have been trying to continue what my MOM started in the
1960's with Genealogy. Now I am trying to decide how to put in
binders. I have two line husband and wife both keep going to the 1300.
Should I put each of these in a separate binder? <br>
I have two more of the same years of the grandparents with a different
name that keep going to the 1300. I have one family that has 10
brothers all in the Rev War and want to keep that info available
should I include them in the one brother that is the married
descendant? I am keeping the city history, the battles, and the
person place in the city such as selectman or occupation. I have 5
divisions behind each persons name of the main line Father's side and
another binder for the mother's side. 1 vital records 2 Genealogy
records charts 3 Histories/ stories 4 Military records 5 Pictures. The
index dividers take up a lot of the space but it is organized when
done. Five inch binders are the best because they are made the
strongest. Then put your own designed cover. Add some more touches
and that make the Genealogy book. It is beautiful.
answers5: Wendy is an experienced researcher pay attention to what she
has told yiou. Surnames are not your family history. Not everyone
with the same surname shares the same ancestors. Surnames do not
have a family history despite the numerous peddlers of surname
products who want to make you think they do. Those are the people who
sell "surname history scrolls" and so called "family coat of arms" or
"family crest." The surname product business is a scam. <br>
<br>
The surnames in your family generally will double each generation you
go back. What you need to do is to link specific persons to other
persons who might or might not have the same surname. <br>
<br>
Example: Mary Smith is shown as the daughter of John Smith and Mary
Cook. Then you link John Smith to Harry Smith and Frances Brown and
you link Mary Cook to Joseph Cook and Margaret McGillicuddy. You
keep going back that way. Now as the lines multiply you might want
to concentrate on one line at a time but still not everyone in that
line will have the same surname. A lot of people do that and then
when they run into a brick wall in the line they are researching they
set it aside and go to another line. <br>
<br>
Understand Mary Smith had 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great
grandparents, 16 great great grandparents, 32 great great great
grandparents and it keeps doubling. Only one person in each
generation was a Smith unless one of them married someone else named
Smith.
answers6: I don't envy you that task and you have to do what suits
you and of course that may change when you have researched more <br>
<br>
I do mine via ancestry line, putting a family tree on the front page,
showing them and their direct line back in bold, which are theirs (
and YOUR) ancestors wife has a number which is their file and in her
file is the family tree, showing her and her direct line ancestry in
bold, her husbands number refers you to his file... I do a timeline
for each ancestor, so it is easy to see where I need to find more
information so someone born in 1860 died in 1936 I will have a date of
1860 birth cert and tick if I hold a copy of it and a number which
shows where it is kept in my record file, 1860 baptism record , 1861
census return and so on.... to 1936 death cert, then burial ( plus
photo of church/grave stone) Obituary and everything in between so I
know where they were , when and all records kept together and numbered
so easily found and those numbers of the real record, photo, newspaper
cutting etc can then be used in other peoples files too.
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