Author Topic: Simple, flexible family tree software?  (Read 1799 times)

Offline Davedrave

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,722
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Simple, flexible family tree software?
« on: Friday 18 June 21 10:16 BST (UK) »
I would like to create a family tree but am frustrated by what I’ve tried in the past (eg FindMyPast and FamilySearch). I would like a simple format which allows me to input my own information into the tree rather than forcing me to use records which are sometimes wrong or missing.

As an example of what I mean, I know that William and Sarah Bentley of Thurmaston had a son Thomas who drowned, along with his brother William, in 1835. The only record of Thomas is the Leicester newspaper report of his and William’s inquest. Unlike his brother William, Thomas seems not to have been baptised, and there is no record of his burial because “his” burial record incorrectly records the burials of William and John. John was actually the younger brother of William and Thomas, witness to their drowning, and was still alive in the 1841 Census. The one newspaper reference seems to be the only record of Thomas’s existence.

As another example, I know that John Lea died in Shenton, Leicestershire in 1826  (his will and a headstone are proof) but for some reason his burial went entirely unrecorded in the parish register.

What I’m looking for therefore is a tree program which allows the flexibility to not simply link to records, which may sometimes be wrong or entirely missing, but just a sort of skeleton tree I can fill in, linking to all available types of evidence.

Dave  :)
ESSEX: Cramphorn Raven Sams Sayers Taylor; GLOS: Beacham/Beauchamp; HERTS: Chamberlain Chuck; LEICS: Allot Bentley Godfrey Greasley Hunt Hurst Jarvis Lane Lea Light Woodward; LINCS: Lambert Mitchell Muse ; STAFFS: Hodgkins Jarvis; SURREY: Light; WARKS: Astley/Chesshire Bradbury Hicken/Hickin Hudson; WORCS: Ballinger Beauchamp Laight

Offline jim1

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 24,428
  • ain't life grand
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 18 June 21 11:49 BST (UK) »
I use this:
https://www.tribalpages.com/
You can upload (as images) whatever you want & attach them to whoever you want.
Warks:Ashford;Cadby;Clarke;Clifford;Cooke Copage;Easthope;
Edmonds;Felton;Colledge;Lutwyche;Mander(s);May;Poole;Withers.
Staffs.Edmonds;Addison;Duffield;Webb;Fisher;Archer
Salop:Easthope,Eddowes,Hoorde,Oteley,Vernon,Talbot,De Neville.
Notts.Clarke;Redfearne;Treece.
Som.May;Perriman;Cox
India Kane;Felton;Cadby
London.Haysom.
Lancs.Gay.
Worcs.Coley;Mander;Sawyer.
Kings of Wessex & Scotland
Census information is Crown copyright,from
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Offline Davedrave

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,722
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #2 on: Friday 18 June 21 15:38 BST (UK) »
I use this:
https://www.tribalpages.com/
You can upload (as images) whatever you want & attach them to whoever you want.

Thanks, I’ll try it out.

Dave   :)
ESSEX: Cramphorn Raven Sams Sayers Taylor; GLOS: Beacham/Beauchamp; HERTS: Chamberlain Chuck; LEICS: Allot Bentley Godfrey Greasley Hunt Hurst Jarvis Lane Lea Light Woodward; LINCS: Lambert Mitchell Muse ; STAFFS: Hodgkins Jarvis; SURREY: Light; WARKS: Astley/Chesshire Bradbury Hicken/Hickin Hudson; WORCS: Ballinger Beauchamp Laight

Offline Erato

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 6,743
  • Old Powder House, 1703
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #3 on: Friday 18 June 21 16:15 BST (UK) »
I use the FamilySearch PAF program.  It doesn't require me to link to anything.  I chose it initially because it was free and I have never found any reason to upgrade to a fancier program.
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis


Offline iluleah

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,049
  • Zeya who has a plastic bag fetish
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #4 on: Friday 18 June 21 18:20 BST (UK) »
Brothers Keeper software is what I use

Quote
As another example, I know that John Lea died in Shenton, Leicestershire in 1826  (his will and a headstone are proof) but for some reason his burial went entirely unrecorded in the parish register.

His Will was written BEFORE he died, so it doesn't predict where he will die nor be buried and a head stone never confirms a burial in that place........ if it is not written in the parish record, not in the BT or the parish diary... he is not there but somewhere else.

In the 'family' village the churchyard is next door to the farm my great grandfather owned and lived in for 50 yrs before he died... there in the grave yd is a headstone with his name on it ...he is not buried there as there is no recording of the burial, so I kept looking and found he is buried in an unmarked grave in the next village.... it is amazing what 'family' will do to 'keep face' as after research  he left his wife, moved in with gf, his wife died and is buried in the church yd and the family had the headstone commissioned, stating both he and wife are buried there.
Leicestershire:Chamberlain, Dakin, Wilkinson, Moss, Cook, Welland, Dobson, Roper,Palfreman, Squires, Hames, Goddard, Topliss, Twells,Bacon.
Northamps:Sykes, Harris, Rice,Knowles.
Rutland:Clements, Dalby, Osbourne, Durance, Smith,Christian, Royce, Richardson,Oakham, Dewey,Newbold,Cox,Chamberlaine,Brow, Cooper, Bloodworth,Clarke
Durham/Yorks:Woodend, Watson,Parker, Dowser
Suffolk/Norfolk:Groom, Coleman, Kemp, Barnard, Alden,Blomfield,Smith,Howes,Knight,Kett,Fryston
Lincolnshire:Clements, Woodend

Offline Ian Nelson

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,194
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #5 on: Friday 18 June 21 23:20 BST (UK) »
Don't use Gramps unless you have oodles of time on your hands   ... but I used to use a Free program called SIMPLE Family Tree when I used Windows 10, but I switched to Linux Peppermint10 OS and had to find another which worked on Linux, thus, Ancestris.   Free, and comprehensive, but intuitive.   have a look at www.ancestris.org
cheers, Ian
Norfolk, Nelsons of Gt Ryburgh, Gooch, Howman, COLLISONS,  Ainger, Couzens, Batrick (Norfolk & Dorset), Tubby ( also of Yorkshire) Cathcarts of Ireland, Lancashire & Isle of Wight) Dickinsons of Morecambe and Lancaster, Wilson of Poulton-le-Sands and Broughton.  Wilson - Ffrance of Rawcliffe,  Mitchells of Isle of Wight. Hair of Ayrshire, Williamson of Tradeston, Glasgow. Nelsons in Australia with Haywards Heath connections.

Offline Joy Dean

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 745
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 09 January 22 09:33 GMT (UK) »
Don't use Gramps unless you have oodles of time on your hands   ... but I used to use a Free program called SIMPLE Family Tree when I used Windows 10, but I switched to Linux Peppermint10 OS and had to find another which worked on Linux, thus, Ancestris.   Free, and comprehensive, but intuitive.   have a look at www.ancestris.org
cheers, Ian

I am having a look at this one  www.ancestris.org thank you.

Offline KGarrad

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 26,063
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 09 January 22 10:38 GMT (UK) »
I use RootsMagic.
You choose to link to Ancestry, FamilySearch or MyHeritage - or you can (like me!) choose not to link ;)

There is a free version, RootsMagic Essentials, but the full version has greater functionality.
But worth trying Essentials to see how you get on.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline youngtug

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,302
    • View Profile
Re: Simple, flexible family tree software?
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 09 January 22 11:23 GMT (UK) »
I second TribalPages. See post #1 by jim1
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
PINEGAR-COLLIER-HUGHES-JEFFERIES-HUNT-MOSS-FRY