What is a direct ancestor?
A direct ancestor is someone from whom you are directly descended, so this would include your parents, your 4 grandparents, your 8 great-grandparents, your 16 great-great grandparents, your 32 great-great-great grandparents and so on. All of them will have contributed to the genes that make you who you are. The blank Ancestor Chart that you can download from this site has spaces for 5 generations of direct ancestors. It’s a good idea to print it out and fill in the names of your ancestors before you start entering them. It will also highlight gaps in your knowledge, enabling you to focus your attention on those parts of your tree.
