How to fill in your Family Tree chart

Would you like to to know how to fill in your family tree chart, free with the latest issue of Family Tree? It's really easy once you get started. Just follow these simple steps below.

How to fill in your Family Tree chart:

1. First things first – it’s a good idea to fill in your chart in pencil initially, to make sure you’ve got the correct details in the correct places.

2. Decide which person you would like to start with on your chart (it could be you, your child, one of your grandchildren, for instance) and place their name in the bottom central space. We’ve entered John Hill, b 1920, in our example chart below.

3. Then work back through the generations, for each couple placing the man on the left of each pair, and his wife on the right. As you can see we’ve put John’s father (Samuel) on the left, and John’s mother (Isabella) on the right.

4. Typically surnames are written in capital letters to make them stand out.

5. Abbreviations are useful, to help you make the best use of space (b for birth, m for marriage, d for death).

It's a good idea to use a pencil when you first fill in your Family Tree chart.

Have fun filling in your Family Tree poster chart. You’ll find it a great way to see which ancestors you still need to find. It’s also an enjoyable way to share your family history with your relations and makes a great talking point at family gatherings. If you’d like an exclusive Family Tree poster chart, find it in the shops from Friday 9 August, free with the September issue of Family Tree, on sale until 5 September while stocks last!