Biological relationships aren’t the only relationships that matter—and unrelated individuals are often listed in historical records together. They may be witnesses to death, marriage, or other important life events. They may have been boarders living in a household when a census was taken or people doing business with each other.
In Family Tree, use the Other Relationships feature to record these types of relationships. You can also use this feature to record unclear or ambiguous family relationships whose exact line of connection or descent is unknown.
The details associated with a particular relationship can often lead to unexpected discoveries about your ancestors and add context to your family story.
These relationships can be especially helpful if your ancestors migrated and you cannot find where they settled. People often migrated with their friends, neighbors, and family. If you cannot find your ancestors, you may be able to find them by researching the people who lived nearby.
You can record the following types of Other Relationships in Family Tree:
- Apprenticeship
- Employment
- Godparent
- Household
- Neighbor
- Relative
- Enslavement
After adding the relationship, you can then enhance the information with events, notes, and sources. Sources are especially important. They provide evidence that the relationship you are recording is accurate and can provide clues that will help others learn more about their families.
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