Many of us are interested in our family trees, and some of us are even fortunate enough to find them ready-made. A lot of books, both the paper version and available on the internet, have been written and published about people’s family trees. In this article we will discuss different types of books that record people’s ancestry, and the different types of information that will be found in them.

First, there are descending and ascending family histories. The descending variety is the most common and starts with a single person or couple. This person could have been chosen as the starting point of the family tree because they are the furthest back someone has been able to find documentable information on or because they were the immigrant person or couple or because they were famous for some reason. Parents and siblings of this person or couple may be recorded but the emphasis of descending genealogies is on who they married and who their children were. They follow the children’s children and their children on down the line. The last generation before publication can number into the thousands.

Ascending genealogies start with the person who wrote the book and work up the line to their parents, grandparents, great grandparents etc. You get the picture. Siblings and spouses are included as well but not the spouses’ parents.

Good family trees will include much more than just names, dates and places. I’ve seen some that don’t even do a good job at that! Good family trees will include information on each person’s occupation, military service if any, health, education, wealth, and perhaps a physical description. They may also include maps, photos, copies of censuses, letters, wills, probates or inventories. And good family trees will include documentation so you can find the original source if you want.

I have also seen family trees that are just that – pictures of trees that includes family information. These are more convoluted to follow and give less information but are good for the visually-minded. Each branch extending from the main trunk (which could depict either the original couple or the person who published the book) is a child or a parent, and the smaller branches and twigs represent the next generations.

Pedigree charts and family group sheets are often bound and available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and at public libraries. These can be cumbersome to figure out especially if there is no numbering system on the family group sheets. This is when pedigree charts act as an index.

Some family trees are used as decorations. I see them framed in homes and in libraries. Often you see so-called genealogies of Biblical proportions – literally – going back to Adam or even further. I would like to see their documentation!

You should be particularly suspicious of royal family trees. It seems to be a mark of some pride to tie into royal lines when, in actuality, not many of us actually do. In the days before DNA testing, any illegitimate mother could claim that her child was the son or daughter of their favorite royal male person. And, if usurpers to thrones wanted to prove that they were the rightful heirs, they claimed the “divine right of kings”. In other words, they hired genealogists to come up with family trees that went back to Adam, proving that they were predestined (or of Royal blood) to be the rulers. This predestination came complete with the ability to rule in God’s behalf and with absolute authority. If genealogists wanted to keep their heads on their shoulders, they came up with the requested family trees.

Whichever type of family history you find, use it with wisdom. Some are better than others and, unless you just want the decorative kind to show off, it is always best to have documentation.