Today I want to share with you, the forms I use the most to help me. You will also find them on the new forms page.
The First one I am providing today is my Mini Group Sheet it is tablet (5.5″x 8.5″) size and I use it as a work sheet. If I am finding lots of families in the records (such as the Parish records in a specific area) with the same last name. I might start keeping track of these families on these sheets. Later I will review this information with other source information(i.e. Census, marriage records, etc.) to develop family relationships. I like to color code my family group sheets so I have these forms in Blue and Red. Be sure that you have your printer set on color otherwise its just black and white.. You will find there are two to a page and you can simply cut apart.

The Second form is a Document Log check sheet. I create a new one for each individual when I first start researching an individual. This is a log of all the records or documents that I have on file for each individual. Each record or document is filed behind or with this log. This will let me know at a glance where the holes in my research are and what areas I need to focus on next. I have also provided blue, red, green and orange logs if you too would like them.
There are tricks to remember what the relationship is between two individuals with a common ancestor. If the common ancestor for both individuals a:
- great grandparent ~then they are 2nd Cousins,
- 2x great grandparent ~then they are 3rd Cousins,
- 3x great grandparents~ then they are 4th cousins,
- 4x ~ 5th cousins, etc.
- but how about those generations once or twice removed.
That gets a little more difficult. so here is my cheat sheet for you. Click here
If you can print in color I encourage you to do so.
Steps to determine relationship between 2 individuals with a common ancestor.
- Find relationship of 1st individual to the common ancestor in the far right hand column above the common ancestor box
- Find the relationship of the 2nd individual to the common ancestor in the far right hand column below the common ancestor box.
- Follow the path across and down to where the 1st relationship meets the second relationships row. That intersecting box is the relationship of the two individuals.
Feel free to use any or all of these forms and share. I will be adding others from time to time. If you are following me I will let you know as I add more.
I have always gotten confused about 2nd and 3rd cousins etc., snd gave up on the removeds. This is get helpful. Thank you!