New Box Corner Styles and Background Images

Charting Companion 7 introduces new box styles, to improve Ancestor and Descendant charts: rounded, notched or octagon.

You can also add a background image or color to enhance your charts:

If you have an earlier version of Charting Companion, our upgrade policy is: If you purchased after June 2018 (ver. 7), you get a free upgrade. If you purchased within the last year, you get a discount (contact us). Within two years, purchase a Registration Key. Charting Companion works with all genealogy programs: Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy, Ancestral Quest, Family Historian, GEDCOM, etc. Get Charting Companion today and make family history.

DNA Simulation - Automatically Building Your Family Tree

Charting Companion 7 features a new technology to help place adoptees and orphans in a family tree: the DNA Simulation. Based on the DNA Matrix , the DNA Simulation will construct a Descendant tree, then will systematically try to link the "orphan" to every person in the tree, one at a time. Charting Companion will validate the tree by calculating the expected centiMorgan (cM) implied by the hypothetical relationship, and comparing it to the actual laboratory DNA test results. Each iteration is called a "scenario". If the DNA test results are outside the cM range, the scenario is bad, will be discarded, and Charting Companion will advance to the next possible position of the orphan in the tree. If the DNA results are consistent, the good scenario will be recorded. All possible scenarios can then be reviewed for further investigation. (see video).

In addition to linking to existing persons, Charting Companion will also insert hypothetical or placeholder spouses and children, and attempt to link the orphan to these additional people. The added persons represent potential extramarital relationships, previous unknown marriages, unknown children, children given up to adoption, non-paternal events, etc. They are meant to suggest possible connections that would otherwise be very time-consuming to evaluate manually.The DNA Simulation is available in Charting Companion 7. See video for detailed explanation. If you have an earlier version of Charting Companion, our upgrade policy is: If you purchased within the last year, you get a free upgrade (contact us). If you purchased within two years, you get a 20% discount (contact us). Within three years, purchase a Registration Key. Charting Companion works with all genealogy programs: Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy, Ancestral Quest, Family Historian, GEDCOM, etc. Get Charting Companion today and make family history.

DNA Matrix: Supported CSV File Formats

Last March Charting Companion announced a new chart: the DNA Matrix . The DNA Matrix is available as a free upgrade to all customers who are using ver. 6 of Charting Companion.

The DNA Matrix helps you by showing an overview of DNA matches in a clear, simple chart. Charting Companion can also "validate" your tree by comparing actual DNA test results, against the number expected from the relationships. Are there surprises in your tree? Click for more details. Click for video.

Charting Companion now automatically recognizes the following CSV match file formats:

• 23andMe (Direct)
• AncestryDNA (AncestryDNA Helper)
• AncestryDNA (DNAGedcom)
• FTDNA Chromosome Browser (Direct)
• FTDNA Chromosome Browser (DNAgedcom)
• FTDNA Family Finder (Direct)
• FTDNA Family Finder (DNAgedcom)
• FTDNA ICW
• GEDmatch: One to many
• GEDmatch: Tier 1 Triangulation
• Genome Mate Pro
• MyHeritage (Direct)
• Pedigree Thief
• User defined

The "User defined" format allows you to assign the Kit No. and centiMorgan columns to a file format of your own design, or a format not (yet) supported above. Send us a copy of your CSV file if it is not included, we'll add it!

DNA Matrix showing centiMorgan (cM) matches between members of a family.

Charting Companion works with all genealogy programs: Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy, Ancestral Quest, Family Historian, GEDCOM, etc. Get Charting Companion today and make family history.

Charting Companion Announces New DNA Matrix Chart

Charting Companion announces a new chart: the DNA Matrix (aka "McGuire Method"). Genetic research offers new ways for genealogists to build their family tree, where conventional records and sources are not available. Genealogists are submitting DNA samples to testing companies who can identify distinctive patterns in the DNA, and match the genealogist to millions of other participants. Adoptees are using DNA to search for biological parents. Distant cousins and other relatives can contribute to your tree by providing information on branches where they have more research than you do. The DNA Matrix helps you by showing an overview of DNA matches in a clear, simple chart. Charting Companion can also "validate" your tree by comparing actual DNA test results, against the number expected from the relationships. Are there surprises in your tree? Click for more detail.

DNA Matrix showing centiMorgan (cM) matches between members of a family.

Charting Companion works with all genealogy programs: Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy, Ancestral Quest, Family Historian, GEDCOM, etc. Get Charting Companion today and make family history.

"Beech Hill Roots" book: Descendants of William and Elizabeth Ward, Nova Scotia

Beech Hill Roots is a set of 5 books recording the family tree for thousands of families, all of whom can trace their ancestry back to pioneers William and Elizabeth Ward who came to Nova Scotia, from Yorkshire in 1774. They settled at Beech Hill, south of Kentville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their descendants spread far and wide across Canada, the US and beyond.

Along with identifying the descendants of this couple, there are notes, pictures and an extensive index. Over 40 years of personal interviews by countless researchers and individual families who contributed. Publicly available and private collections were consulted.

Two hundred 5-volume sets were printed.

Who is in the book? This 5 volume set of books contains 2,776 pages and is not just for the Ward or Bishop families! At last count, there were 15,335 direct descendants in 11 generations. The final database numbered in excess of 30,000 individuals.

The 500 page Index (Book 5) is unique even in the genealogy world to allow more success in looking up names. Married women are listed twice, with their maiden and married surnames. Parents of spouses are shown. Special Appendices precede the index to provide additional, useful information, such as descriptive place name information and maps.

The Register format of Beech Hill Roots allows the reader to follow their roots back to the original family. William and Elizabeth (Flintoff) Ward who came to Beech Hill in 1774 with 18 month old Moses. New research reveals Elizabeth’s real name was Flintoff, not Grant as commonly assumed.

Beech Hill Roots leaves a legacy of family history from Kings County, Nova Scotia that spans the continent, especially for anyone having ancestry in Kings County. Generations to come may find links to their past before it is faded from memory.

Get your copy of Beech Hill Roots: USD $205 plus shipping.