Best method of publishing my family tree

hjr

This is probably a query that everyone has from time to time. I have completed a large amount of my family history and am now at the stage where relatives want to get a look at it. My issue at present is the size....My grandfather was one of fifteen, and his father was one of six. I have traced all of these people and also identified who they married and what children they have, and what children they have too in many instances...Across the fifteen siblings at my grandparents level there are nearly 60 first cousins...

Printing this on a page or wall chart is next to impossible as it would take up a whole wall to do it justice.

So I guess I'm wondering what solutions others have come up with...A book version is one idea I've toyed with, but finding the right template is tricky...maybe a good online site where the tree could be produced, however I also have lots of accompanying documents which are important to the tree, like shipping records, photos, naturalization documents, so keeping them all together is important to me too...!

I know I'm being over analytical about this, but just looking to see what others think might be a good approach.

I should also mention, this is only on my fathers side..I have similar work already done on my mothers side, which will form part two of my project!

Its an addiction without a cure!

Thanks for any and all help!

odds_on

Do you have all the information on computer - in a genealogy program? Documents can be scanned and attached to relevant people.

Then you can make a special copy of everything (called a GEDCOM) and send it to any relative who is interested. They too will need a genealogy program that will read the GEDCOM and end up with all the information.

However, your relatives do not need to have the same genealogy program as any good one will be able to read the GEDCOM.

chughes

I use the family tree builder that's free from MyHeritage.com


It has a number of report formats which you might find useful.

pinkypinky

I've pretty much given up trying to print anything other than a quick reference direct ancestors sheet.

My tree fits on about an A1 sheet in small print but getting a printer to do that is expensive....even if you have it on a pdf.

I just use software and print out sections if I need to show distant family members a connection.

CassieManson

chughes wrote: »

I use the family tree builder that's free from MyHeritage.com


It has a number of report formats which you might find useful.

I also use MyHeritage.com but I think it is only free up to 250 members on the tree - which I very quickly passed.

There are some very useful features, such as "smart matches" which finds if other MyHeritage users have the same people in their trees. I have managed to find a lot of long lost distant cousins through this.

You can also give other family members access to your tree through the website, without them having to have any special software on their computers.

quickbeam

I just use Excel.

odds_on

quickbeam wrote: »

I just use Excel.

Excel is alright to give you some basic facts and the "tree". However, once you get passed a couple of generations, it gets complicated as there is no provision for sources, notes, photos, media files (such as a copy of the 1901/1911 census forms), other pdf files, html files, not to mention personal details of each person (when you might include such things as date of birth, date of death, date of marriage, occupation, place resided at etc.)

I would humbly suggest that you transfer your data to a proper genealogy program for ease of adding data and all the different reports that can be produced. There are many free ones available - my favoutite id Brother's Keeper which I have been using since the days of DOS.

If you have a lot of data, I can make a gedcom file from an excel spreadsheet. Then you just import the gedcom file into your chosen genealogy program.

hjr

Thanks for the responses guys..very helpful.

I should have said I have it on Ancestry already so GEDCOM file is not an issue. The tree at present contains approx 2,800 people, but obviously not all these people are relevant to everyone..for example my wife's family ancestry won't interest anyone really on my side of the family and vice versa....

Decisions, decisions I guess....