Intermarrying cousins meet mind mapping!
At some point anyone who does genealogy will run into cousins marrying cousins, a sister marrying a widowed father in law (yep, really), and family groups that just can't seem to stay away from each other.
I have several groups, that I'm aware of, that intermarry, my Shanks line is one, my Adams and Atkins line... well that sends me into a near panic just looking at the intermarrying there. There are a few others I just haven't started untangling yet.
Recently when looking at DNA matches I realized when viewing other trees that there seemed to be a mingling of my Jones/Carter and Jennings/Bruce lines. I went round and round looking at trees and creating quick and dirty trees to sort it out and I realized -- I need to see this, not just look at different pedigree charts, but see the connection.
Luckily I have a mind mapping app (a visual thinking tool, a way to sort your thoughts out in a visual way). So,I started mapping out this line and what do you know, it worked! For me anyway.
I'm able to see the lines to and from each family group, see how the sibling of a Grandmother married into the generation of a Great Grandparent. This example of intermarrying isn't that bad, but I can visually see where the lines mingle and it helps put everyone in their place. (I've started a mind map of my Adams/Atkins line and it already looks like a spider got drunk and started a web).
I use the app SimpleMind+ (I'm not an affiliate nor do I get compensation). I needed the paid (iPad) version for several reasons: 1: I can make multiple parent/start boxes 2: I can make new lines from one box onto another box that is on a different line. In this example the direct ancestors boxes are oval while siblings are square. Also, red lines connect direct lines, except for Mary Ann Jennings to her son Andrew Jones (don't ask me why it's not red I haven't the foggiest).
What other apps outside of family tree apps do you find useful?
I have several groups, that I'm aware of, that intermarry, my Shanks line is one, my Adams and Atkins line... well that sends me into a near panic just looking at the intermarrying there. There are a few others I just haven't started untangling yet.
Recently when looking at DNA matches I realized when viewing other trees that there seemed to be a mingling of my Jones/Carter and Jennings/Bruce lines. I went round and round looking at trees and creating quick and dirty trees to sort it out and I realized -- I need to see this, not just look at different pedigree charts, but see the connection.
Luckily I have a mind mapping app (a visual thinking tool, a way to sort your thoughts out in a visual way). So,I started mapping out this line and what do you know, it worked! For me anyway.
 |
| Mind map of ancestors of living grand parent (Yellow box on the far right: she marries into the Jennings line also, I just can't verify the parents, yet) |
I'm able to see the lines to and from each family group, see how the sibling of a Grandmother married into the generation of a Great Grandparent. This example of intermarrying isn't that bad, but I can visually see where the lines mingle and it helps put everyone in their place. (I've started a mind map of my Adams/Atkins line and it already looks like a spider got drunk and started a web).
I use the app SimpleMind+ (I'm not an affiliate nor do I get compensation). I needed the paid (iPad) version for several reasons: 1: I can make multiple parent/start boxes 2: I can make new lines from one box onto another box that is on a different line. In this example the direct ancestors boxes are oval while siblings are square. Also, red lines connect direct lines, except for Mary Ann Jennings to her son Andrew Jones (don't ask me why it's not red I haven't the foggiest).
What other apps outside of family tree apps do you find useful?
Comments
Post a Comment