I should add, at the moment I am sitting handwriting it all from my ancestry tree because my eyes are boggled from swapping between windows. 

What I would do is a pedigree chart for each of your parents to start with and then fill in the siblings (as each couples' children) from oldest couple and working back to your grandparents.

I am sitting looking at those print outs now 

Honestly my brain is having the biggest fart ever.

Maybe sleep on it Cinds....and approach it fresh tomorrow.

EFFs, I've been trying to get my head around it for almost a week.  I've got rid of the boy and the husband tonight and was hoping to make a dent in the start of it all.

It's not helping that ancestry site is flippin playing up 

How many generations can you go back for each of your parents?

This is gonna sound rubbish and may not work but if each line is numbered ie. 1 for oaternal grandma , 2 for paternal grandpa and then each add on 1 a, 1b etc.

add the name to the file too. Probably wont work I'd need to fiddle around myself - haven't a clue really. Just thinking out loud.

It's massively different for both.  I was going to try to do the 6 I have completed for them both, and then add the rest later for them.

Found this week my Mams family on her mothers side owned a ship building company in Sunderland.  James Leithead if anyone wants to look him up.

Dads family, the furthest I have gone back is 1611 to an Alexander Brand, apparently a land owner in Baberton, Scotland.

Was he born/baptised in 1611, or was he already a landowner at that time?

I have no idea what you are on about!!

And historically . . . that is accurate

Does it help - of course not

But we love your inane comments none the less!

Heh heh - i'm clueless but lovable

Cinds  Your lineage is rather impressive ............in 1846 my Dad's family were living in a field in Cinder Hill, Sussex.

Back then, my mum's family were feuers (landowners) in Radernie, Fife, Scotland.

In 1846 my family were clueless too.

I'm sure they hope that helped

Haha! Very likely.

Late in the day but...Ancestry is back up and running.

I stumbled across this during my research.  Is that the kind of layout http://eastanglianancestors.co.uk/fam1214.html you're looking for?

Maybe some kind soul on that site could help you?

Also, I think ancestry have a facility for printing out your tree (just don't ask me where or how to do it).  Good luck 

Thanks Cosi, that's very helpful and just what I had in mind, except it was all still muddled in my head. I've printed the actual trees from the site, but it was the sorting of the rest I couldn't figure. Plus I want to include copies of census records and maps etc.

Soozy it isn't all impressive, in the ancestry thread I posted a picture of a shed where my great great grandparents lived for over 10 years.

He was born then.

On all sides of the family tree it's all rather humble to put it politely. Very interesting though..........a great, great, (great) grandfather who came over from Madras in India ...he was a cook on a ship and ended up staying and living with and having children with Mary although I don't believe they married. 

On my mum's, mothers side (mining family from Yorkshire) I know my Nan had a cousin Mavis who married someone called Valentine connected to a fairground. Since moving North I have often seen signs for 'The Valentine Fun Fair' - often wondered if that's a connection.

 That might be him then

C'mon Cinds, I need to know....Do you think that's him?

Yes, That's him 

Sorry I didn't see your post from the other day.

No worries!

So we've got parents for him now!

I Know.  Thanks.  That means on one branch I can go back to the 1500's 

Not just any old landowner - LAIRD of Baberton.

*tugs forelock*

Do you think I should dash up there and claim my rights seeing as he was my 9th great grandfather! 

Why not? Worth a go....what have you to lose?