Pedigree Charts, Family Group Records and Vital Records in a Nutshell

Starting out with genealogy can sometimes seem like you are learning a new language so let's take a look in this post at some of the terms that are common in genealogy as well as helpful forms to aid you in your research findings. I will also provide some helpful links for reference.

Genealogy is all about record keeping and the better organized you are the easier it is to keep track of what you have so you don't spin your wheels. If you are someone that likes to have paper copies of your families that you are researching there are some excellent charts that you can fill in to include in your binder(s) and some are fillable and can be saved electronically to your computer. Which type of form you choose is really up to what is the most appealing to you. Let's look at the different types of forms and what they are.

🔍PEDIGREE CHART is a chart that shows the direct descendant of each generation. For example, my pedigree will start with me then list both of my parents, then their parents and so on as far back as the chart option goes. You can choose a format that only lists names or includes more information such as birth, marriage and death.

Pedigree Chart with birth, marriage, death (dates only, no location)

6 Generation Pedigree Chart with birth, marriage, death including location

5 Generation Bow Tie Pedigree Chart, boxes for name only

✍TAKE NOTE: When filling in your pedigree chart or family group record remember to use the maiden name for each of the women. A maiden name is their last name before they were married.

🔍FAMILY GROUP RECORDS list information for an immediate family. For example, if you made a family group record of your family it would list your spouse, yourself and your children and their birth, marriage (spouse name only) and death. Again, some forms include locations and some only list dates.

Landscape Family Group Record from Ancestry

Portrait Family Group Record

Landscape Family Group Record

Links to FREE Pedigree Charts and Family Group Records:
Ancestry Printable Charts and Forms
Cyndi's List Printable Charts
Family Tree Magazine Printable Forms

Now that we have discussed a few of the forms and charts that are used to record family events in genealogy, let's go over a few of the very important terms that you should become familiar with so when you ask a question you understand, or have an idea, of what they are referring to.

🔍VITAL RECORDS AND EVENTS are documentation (by government or family) of life events including but not limited to: birth, marriage(s), divorce(s), adoption and death. These are all referred to as primary sources in genealogy because they are records of the event at the time of or just after the event occurred. If you cannot find a primary source of an event and are using information from a journal, census record or some other source it is referred to as a secondary source because it was recorded later from an unknown source.

✍TAKE NOTE: Birth, Marriage and Death Records are often referred to with their acronym of BMD Records.

Vital records, in general, were not required by law until the 1900s roughly and it varies from state to state when that began and which records.

💎 GENEALOGY GEM: I strongly recommend requesting certificates directly from the state or county you are looking in. The prices are lower than going through a secondary site that will charge a processing or expediting fee.

Here is a link to an excellent vital records page from FamilySearch:
FamilySearch United States Vital Records Information
Scroll down and find "VITAL RECORDS OF EACH STATE" and select the state that you are interested in locating a record from. This will save you the time of requesting a certificate and fees for a record that they don't have. Each state and/or county will have a link to download and print the form request and will state how much each record costs.

Begin With the Death Record - it is easier to start with the most recent life event. You can gain information regarding place of birth as well as birth date, parents names and their birth location, mother's maiden name, spouse information, cause of death and often how long they have resided where they passed away as well as where they were buried.

✍TAKE NOTE: Keep in mind a few things when looking at death records: 
Who is the informant providing the information regarding the person that just passed away? Spouse/child, family member, close friend, nurse/doctor? Losing a loved one is a distressing time and the information, if related, may not have been thinking clearly so the information may not be 100% accurate. It's also only as good as they were taught the information. Don't be surprised if there are errors. It is not uncommon.

Move on to Marriage - by looking at where the first child was born. This may possibly shed some light on where the marriage took place. Don't overlook newspapers for engagement announcements and milestone anniversary spotlights not to mention photos that may have been included and details of the pending festivities. Place of birth, age or birth year, current residence and information regarding parents is often included in marriage license forms. Keep an eye out for any previous marriages as often it is referenced if the bride or groom has been married before the pending ceremony.

💎GENEALOGY GEM: Always pay close attention to witnesses for marital events. Often family members were called upon to step in for this job.

Bingo Baby! By now you have, hopefully, been able to find some vital record for your loved one that you are researching that stated where your ancestor was born. Again, using FamilySearch United States Vital Records check out your state you are looking for to learn when the government began requiring birth records. Check FamilySearch, Ancestry, Cyndi's List and Google before you order the certificate to make sure it isn't available online for free!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Don't give up if you can't find a record the first go round. Make a note of where you looked and come back later and try again. Records are being added to the internet on a daily basis. Happy Hunting!