Family tree representation?

Question:If two brothers marry two sisters, how is this represented on the traditional genealogical family tree? Surely two horizontal lines can't overlap.....Any ideas?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: If two brothers marry two sisters, how is this represented on the traditional genealogical family tree? Surely two horizontal lines can't overlap.....Any ideas?

Do you mean that the two brothers have two sisters, whom they marry? Or that two brothers marry two sisters who they are not related to? Just put a symbol next to either the set of brothers' names or sisters' names. (ie: Meredith Smith (*1) Suzanne Smith (*2)). Then use the name and symbol as the name of the spouse, so someone wouldn't think it was someone with the same name. That way the lines aren't going every which way. (ie: Jonathan Jones----Meredith Smith(*1)).

look at other family trees that are like this surely your not the only one! google it!

Two of my father's brothers married sisters (2 brothers +2 sisters) and two of my husband's father's brothers married two of my husband's mother's sisters (that's 3 brothers + 3 sisters). As if that wasn't enough they were also distant cousins.
I have found that using a computer program ( I use Family Tree) to generate any one of the various "traditional genealogical family trees" designs in such situations works best!

The only type of tree that both brothers would be shown on would be a descendency chart. In this case, the person at the top would be the first known ancestor of a particular name, showing all their direct descendants. As a result, the link between the wives of the brothers would not be shown, as they are not directly descended from the head of the tree.

There is no structured system of showing this on a standard chart, it would normally be included in any notes on each individual.

If you wish to make it apparent on a descendency chart, make a note under each couple to this effect.