Family Historian 7 is a genealogical software suite that puts its focus on connection. With excellent tools for sharing and publishing, it makes understanding family linkages easy. While it is especially useful for those in the United States or United Kingdom, it is growing to include resources for more geographic regions.
In this review, we’ll take a closer look at what Family Historian 7 has to offer and how it can help you uncover your family’s past. Be sure to check out our complete list of family tree software reviews.
What’s New in Version 7
Many of Family Historian 7’s new features developed from requests made by the software’s user group. These include improvements in word processing, notes, research notes, sourcing, languages, and reporting.
Word Processing
The new word processing features of Family Historian 7 include new fonts and tables. You can also link to records, websites, and include source citations. Documents produced in Family Historian 7 can be converted into books or saved on the web.
Family Historian 7 also includes a transcription feature using word processing tools. Using templates for source types across regions, you can create word-for-word transcripts of documents.
Notes
Additionally, the software includes two new notes tools. The first is a floating window where information about records can be entered. This includes copy/pasting information located on websites. The second notes tool, Research Notes, comes in a variety of formats such as lists and logs. This feature is helpful to better organize research tasks.
Source Citation Templates
Family Historian 7 also features valuable source citation templates based on Elizabeth Shown Mill’s Evidence Explained. A second set of templates conforms to requirements at the University of Strathclyde. When you enter a record, you can immediately include a citation and source data to stay on top of your work. Using Family Historian 7’s data entry assistants, you can enter sources based on type and geographic region.
Full citation data can be accessed by clicking on a footnote. You can also find this feature by exploring the Property Box in a project or in the Note Window. Once you have done this, you can see full details of a citation for a record or fact and edit it if needed.
Of course, you will need to be able to assess the facts you enter. Using the Fact Flag feature, you can mark your confidence level in a piece of information. You can also reject it completely or mark it as private.
Charts and Reports
Family Historian 7 supports several traditional genealogical charts. These charts include the Everyone Diagram, which was updated for the new version. Additionally, you can view a tree with all relatives and indirect relatives. Traditional pedigree and waterfall views are also available. Another very helpful feature are the four new DNA Diagrams.
Reports can be viewed in the redesigned Report Window. This feature also supports a bibliography to document your sources. Reports available in Family Historian 7 include the Calendar, the Individual Scrapbook and Timeline, Research Notes, and Sources and Citations. You can also generate detailed reports on specific records.
Historical Maps
The Historical Maps feature allows you to view the location for major events in your family. What is unique about this feature, though, is its reliance on maps from Great Britain from the 1920’s to the 1940’s. This gives a comprehensive and accurate view of how our ancestors lived.
Languages
While the primary languages of Family Historian 7 are American or U.K. English, it does support data in many languages. These include: French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Flemish, Norwegian, and Portuguese. You can add new languages at any time. Additional language packs are also in development.
Other Features
Other new features include tools for analyzing DNA data, matching with MyHeritage records, and support for GEDCOM 5.5.1.
Core Features
Family Historian 7 includes many powerful tools. They keep you in control of your own research and allow you to customize your work. Advanced users can create plugins to make repeated tasks faster. You can also purchase over 100 plugins from the Plugin Store.
Smart Trees
The Smart Trees feature allows you to make changes to your tree without hassle. By using hide, show, re-order, or resize functions, you can organize not only individuals, you can also reorder whole family lines and portions of families.
Witnesses
Recording associates of individuals and sources of data is also important to genealogists. Using the Witnesses feature, you are able to add other persons to a fact or event. You can assign them roles in this event, and, in doing so, make cluster and collateral research easier.
Timelines
You can also generate Timelines for individuals and families. These timelines can show major events, including births, marriages, divorces, and deaths. You can create timelines for whole family groups or only one person.
How Related
Using the How Related tool, you can view how individuals are linked using diagrams and a variety of facts.
Media
Connections between families are also emphasized in media usage. Using Family Historian 7, you can add as many photographs of an individual as you like. You can add both individual images and group photographs, attaching names to subjects. With this feature, you can preserve the photograph as an original source. This prevents the need to crop or destroy the file.
Sharing
Finally, Family Historian 7 is great for sharing. Using this software, you can create books, websites and webpages, family history CD’s, and USB records. The creation of these products is intuitive and simple. When you create a book with Family Historian 7, you can put your own personal touch on the work. The results are beautiful keepsakes that your family will treasure. You will also enjoy sharing them with those you love.
Compatibility
To use Family Historian 7, you will need to use a Windows operating system. Family Historian 7 runs on Windows 11, 10, and 8 and works with both the 32- and 62-bit versions. If you have a Windows emulator on your Mac, you will be able to use Family Historian 7.
FAQ
How Much Does Family Historian 7 Cost?
A free 30 day trial is available of Family Historian 7.
If you would like to buy Family Historian 7, you can do so at https://www.store.family-historian.co.uk. The cost of the program is $64.95.
Does Family Historian 7 Sync with Ancestry?
Family Historian 7 does not yet sync with Ancestry. It does, though, sync with FamilySearch and MyHeritage. You may need a subscription to these databases, though.
Once you have a subscription and are using Family Historian 7, you can view record hints. Hints are accessible through the software’s Web Search Window or using an internet browser.
If you find more data on non-subscription websites, you can clip text and pictures. This feature is available through the Web Search Window. Once you clip data, you can enter a source type and citation for the information.
Final Word
Family History 7 reflects a concern for its users and the features they need in their work. Already emphasizing the sharing of family knowledge, Family History 7 has built on these strengths with new tools. These reflect an international mindset that is imperative for today’s family historians.
