how far do I go

what is the normal cutting off point when building a family tree

Charani...

It stops whereever you decide.

Some people trace every name that they connect with. Some trace only
a paternal or maternal line. Some do only direct lines without going
off onto any collateral lines. There's no right or wrong way, nor are
there any rules about what names to research.

I do my direct lines plus any unusual or interesting lines that
connect. I *really* would like to find a FORK/FAWKES to go with my
KNIFE family, pref marrying.

5th cousins? 6th cousins? or before that

or does it never stop?

Robert G. Eldridge...

The extent of who you record in your family tree is entirely your
decision but it can be useful to have guidelines.

The minimum would comprise yourself, your parents, your grandparents,
your great grandparents etc and your descendants, if any. This
comprises your basic family tree.

You would then decide if you want to include siblings at each of the
above levels, ie your brothers and sisters, your aunts and uncles etc

The next expansion, as it were, is do you include spouses at each of
these levels and if you do you include spouse parents.

Note up to now you haven't included any cousins so you now have to
decide on how far down you want to go from each level.
Including your siblings children adds nephews and nieces.
Including your parents siblings children adds your cousins and so on.

It's probably reasonable to set some limits and these might vary as
you get further away from yourself but it's really a matter of what
you're trying to do.

Charani...

It can't actually stop because new generations are always being added
at one end and there are always new generations to be discovered at
the other end and new siblings/cousins to be discovered in the middle.

E-Traveller...

I have heard that you willeventually run out of cousins, but I've never
talked to a researcher who had stopped looking for more elusive cousins.

Barry Graham...

It never stops ! :(

Apairateef...

Agree! :-) and it's TERRRRIFIC! I have zillions of cousins on my lines
:-)

Ken Gibb...

All verified ??

Ken
Ken & Jill Gibb, gibb@westnet.com.au
Mordialloc,
Vic. Australia.