The Ahnentafel Chart
Ahnentafel is a German word meaning ancestral table or chart. An Ahnentafel Chart is a respected and effective way of indexing many ancestors on one page. In the first generation we start with the individual whose ancestry we are researching. Therefore the subject is listed in generation “I” at number “1”. We find the father of that person in the second generation back listed beside number two, and the mother is directly below him at number three. To find the father of any given individual we simply double the number (x 2) that he or she is entered beside and we find ourselves in the next generation back. To find any the mother of that same individual we simply double the number and add one. Male ancestors are always listed beside a even number and female ancestors are listed by means of an odd number. An ahnentafel chart does not record brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts or cousins. It only itemizes ones ancestors. This form of document is a convenient way of looking up time and place for any ancestor without taking reams of paper with you when researching.
© 2000 Joseph B. Johnston
Sources will be cited as they are verified and time permits. This page launched 1 March 2003. Updated 24 July 2003.
| I. | 1. James Johnston (Jr.), born 2 June 1797, Fairfield County, Sounth Carolina. | ||
| II. | 2. James “Jemmy” Johnston, born 1760, County Londonderry, Ireland, died 13 March 1797, Fairfield County, SC. | ||
| 3. Elizabeth Mary Johnston, born 15 June 1761, Ballymoney, County Antrim, Ireland, died 31 May[?] 1854, Chester, SC. | |||
| III. | 4. David Johnston, Jr., born 23 January 1727 Ireland, died 1786 near Lexington, Kentucky. | ||
| 5. Sarah Meek, born about 1730 Ireland, married about 1759 Ireland, died after 1787 Fairfield County, SC. | |||
| 6. Matthew Johnston, born 1734, died 18 August 1780,1 (bro. of David Jr.), died at battle of Fishing Creek, SC.2 | |||
| 7. Jane/Jennet Gaston, . | |||
| IV. | 8. David Johnston, Sr., born 1688, died 1736, Ireland. | ||
| 9. Mary Boyd, born 1692 Londonderry, Ireland. | |||
| 12. David Johnston, Sr., born 1688, died 1736, Ireland, same as number 32. | |||
| 13. Mary Boyd, born 1692, same as number 33. | |||
| 14. John Gaston, Ireland. | |||
| V. | 16. Johnston/e (father of David Sr.), Scotland? | ||
| 18. Thomas Boyd, present at Siege of Derry, | |||
| 19. Jean? (maiden name unknown), . | |||
| 24. Johnston/e (father of David Sr.), Scotland?, same as number 16. | |||
| 26. Thomas Boyd, present at Siege of Derry, same as number 18. | |||
| 27. Jean? (maiden name unknown), same as number 19. | |||
1 Trevor N. Dupuy, Curt Johnson, and David L. Bongard, The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), page 720.
2 Elizabeth F. Ellet, The Women of the American Revolution, Vol. III (New York: Baker and Scribner, 1851), pages 206-215.