What you get
Everything a family record needs, in five parts.
The tree, the proof behind it, the family who maintain it, the conversations that resolve it, and the page you show the world. Each does one job.
Private by default
Family tree
Ready to useWho belongs to whom.
Start with the relatives you know and add generations as you confirm them. Every person carries their dates, places, and the story behind them.
- Parents, spouses, children, siblings and extended branches
- Life events and biographies attached to each person
- Canvas and list views for exploring a lineage
Records archive
Partly builtThe proof behind each name.
Certificates, funeral programs, land records, photographs and oral histories, each tied to the people and events they document.
- Records linked to people, branches and events
- Source notes, so a record still makes sense in fifty years
- Private by default, separate from anything published
You can catalogue a record today — what it is, who it relates to, where it is kept. Attaching the file itself is not switched on yet.
Organise recordsPrivate by default
Clan workspace
Ready to useHow the living family organises itself.
A structured place for the family that meets, plans and supports one another — the work that happens alongside the historical record.
- A searchable member directory
- Announcements, events and shared resources
- Roles for administrators, contributors and members
Family meeting — Saturday, 10am
Conversations
Ready to useWhere family questions get answered.
Research questions, disputed dates and shared discoveries belong somewhere findable — not scattered across chat threads that disappear.
- Direct messages between relatives
- Topic discussions by branch, project or region
- Discussion kept beside the record it concerns
Efua
Does anyone have Grandpa's birth year? The record says 1944 but the funeral programme says 1943.
09:14
The baptism record says 1944. I've attached it to his profile.
09:21
Nana
Then we correct the tree. Thank you.
09:23
Heritage site
Ready to useWhat your family shows the world.
A public page for diaspora relatives, formal associations and anyone researching the family — kept firmly separate from private records.
- A published address for the family or clan
- Public pages held apart from the private archive
- One clear point of contact for relatives and researchers
The Mensah Family
Four generations, one story
ancestrallineage.com/sites/mensah-family
Getting started
The order that tends to work
- 01
Create the workspace
A private account first. Nothing is public until you decide it is.
- 02
Add what you know
Capture confirmed relatives, records and events before inviting others.
- 03
Invite branch by branch
Bring relatives in gradually so they can verify names, dates and context.
- 04
Publish only what belongs in public
Sensitive records stay private. A heritage site carries only what the family agrees to share.
How we handle family data
Three commitments
Private by default
The tree, notes and records are handled separately from anything published publicly.
Access matches responsibility
Relatives, contributors and administrators get different levels of control, not the same one.
Context travels with the record
Sources, notes and dates stay attached, so family knowledge is still legible years later.
Questions
Before you start
If something here is unclear, ask us — we would rather answer than have you guess.
Contact us- Can I start with only a few relatives?
- Yes. Start with yourself, your parents, or any branch you already know, and add more as details are confirmed.
- Can I catalogue old photos and documents?
- You can record what each item is, who it relates to and where it is kept — certificates, funeral programs, land records, notes and stories. Attaching the files themselves is not available yet.
- Can several relatives work on the same tree?
- Yes. Invite relatives with the level of access that suits them, so they can verify details and add context over time.
- Is any of this paid?
- No. The ancestry, records, clan, conversation and heritage tools are free. Optional storage expansion exists for families with unusually large archives.
- Can we move across from paper records or spreadsheets?
- Yes. If your family already keeps spreadsheets, scanned files or member lists, contact us and we will plan the cleanest way across.
Begin with one name
The tree grows from whoever you start with. Everything else attaches to it.