How to find out and compile the pedigree of your family – step by step instructions

Anyone has ever thought about the origin of their family. The issue of creating a pedigree is decided individually. However, many believe that those who respect and honor their ancestors live much longer. Also, for religious reasons, people try to learn more about relatives and determine whether to repent before God for their sins in order to improve their lives. An important role is played by the factor of health or genetic predisposition to disease.

The content of the article:

Types of pedigrees, ideas for a pedigree tree

There are two main types of pedigrees: ascending and descending.

1. The first begins to build on you and moves on to information about your distant relatives. As a rule, it is followed by the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.
2. The head of the second kind is the oldest founder, and then all of his descendants are listed, including you. Such a pedigree helps to take a broad look at the genus, its activities for many times.

There are other types of pedigrees:

• Male ascendant. Usually it includes only males. It will look like a line. Such a pedigree helps to determine the connection with a historical figure or a famous person of the past.
• Mixed ascending. Here you can specify both men and women. Persons of different genders, different surnames are represented in geometric progression – first 2, then 4, then 8, 16, etc.
• Descending male. The ancestor is chosen and from him “threads” are drawn to the youngest man of this kind.
• Mixed descending. Both men and women can also indicate. This type covers several genera and surnames.

By the type of registration, a pedigree can take several forms:

1. Wood.
2. Vertical nameplate.
3. Horizontal nameplates.
4. Circular diagram.
5. Painting. You can draw a table yourself, telling your family where your family and surname came from.
6. Card file.

You can choose any species you like and create your own individual pedigree. The most popular is the family tree. It is drawn up not only on paper, but also on the walls of the room at home.

How to find out the pedigree of your family – step-by-step instructions

To quickly draw up a pedigree, you should follow the instructions:

• Conduct a survey. Ask relatives and friends, neighbors who know your family, about places of residence, class, places of work, study of ancestors. Perhaps they will remember their appearance (if there is no photo), character, habits, etc. The value of conducting a survey is clear. You will learn about initials, dates of birth, death, but at the same time you will understand what kind of person your great-grandfather was.
  It is better to conduct surveys using a dictaphone. You cannot write down everything after listening to the story.
• Examine family archives. Photos, diaries, letters, and even notes can point you to relatives you didn’t know about. All papers can help you determine who your ancestors were by profession, how they lived, at what time.
• Create an approximate family tree, table, distributing the information received into two branches or columns – maternal and paternal lines. Fill in all dates of birth, initials.
• Examine the reference books in the archival state fund. Information about your archive is available here: rusarchives.ru. The documents located in the archive will help you determine the estate to which your relatives belonged, the position held. You will also find out if the ancestor was awarded, whether he had an honorary title. In addition, in the fund, you can find new information in the form of audio or video recordings, photographs.
  To apply to the fund, you must have permission from the municipality, it is the administration that must send you to a specific archive – first the regional one, then the federal one.
• Check with your local library… They usually provide search literature, archival documents, newspapers and other information and reference publications.
• Visit local museums, they may contain new information about your family.
• Refer to archivists, search engines, bibliographers, historians.

Generating a pedigree is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort. You can contact to a private organizationwho will do all the research for you.

Do not forget what is non-state archival fundsspecially engaged in the collection of information and information about people of the past. In such companies, for a fee, they can also help you find some data.

Useful programs, sites and books for compiling a pedigree – can it be compiled online?

We list the sites that will help with the compilation, design of the family tree:

1. All-Russian genealogical tree (VGD). Has its own collection of information about people of the past living in Russia. There are also articles to aid the search. Website: vgd.ru.
2. Genealogia.ru – includes historical data and information about Russia. There is also a program on the site that can help you formalize your pedigree.
3. Center for Genealogical Research (CGI)… This site – rosgenea.ru has created a unique collection of documents, reference books, lists of records for service, land ownership, registration, chronology, estates, geographical indicators. Communication takes place on the forum, where registered users will be able to suggest something new to you.
4. Official site of the Russian Nobility Assembly (RDS). This non-political organization has 70 regional unions, which store information about the descendants of Russian noble families. Website: nobility.ru.
5. In the so-called family social network – familyspace.ru – you can not only find lost relatives, but also communicate with people who may have known your ancestors. The site contains electronic city and military directories that help in creating an online pedigree.
6. A similar social network project is genway.ru. You can get acquainted with historical facts, determine the meaning of a surname, chat with friends who might know relatives, and also create your own tree online.

And here are some free programs that help to design and draw up pedigrees:

• The tree of life – genery.com. You can create a tree, calculate the degree of relationship, save data, photos, videos and other information about the life and activities of relatives.
• Family Chronicle – drawing up a pedigree is very colorful in the form of a tree. It is possible to save photos and other documents. Website: the-family-chronicle.com.
• GenoPro – creation of a pedigree in a graphical, tabular form. Website: genopro.com.
• Family tree builde – creating your own family site, pedigree tablets. Website: myheritage.com.

The following libraries can help:

1. russian-family.ru
2. petergen.com
3. knigafund.ru

The main books that will direct you on the right path will help with the search, determination of the estate origin of the genus, surnames:

• Reference manual entitled “Genealogical information in the state archives of Russia.”
• “Practical. recommendations for the compilation of peasant genealogies “Petrichenko MB
• Publication “Research of genealogical information in the state archives of Russia” Romanov SN, “Bulletin of the archivist” No. 5 (41) 1997.
• Publication of the same author Romanova: “How to find your roots” in the “Bulletin of the archivist” for 1998, no. 2 (44), no. 3 (45).
• Practical allowance “Your family tree” Onuchin A.N.
• Publication “Metric books: time to collect stones”, Antonov DN, “Otechestvennye archives” 1996, No. 4, No. 5.
• “Methodological guide for conducting genealogical research. Foundations of genealogical culture “Kochevykh S.V.

Are you in the process of compiling the pedigree of your family? We would be grateful for your feedback!