Entering additional spouses on Family Tree Maker

This article discusses the following:

• Entering additional spouses
• Choosing a "preferred" spouse
• Switching between multiple spouses
• Setting spouse order

If an individual in your family has been married more than once, you can enter the additional spouse and marriage information.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.
2. Make sure the individual you want to add a spouse to is the focus of the tree.
3. Click the Spouse icon next to the individual’s name. From the drop-down list, you have the choice of accessing the information for an existing spouse or creating information for a new spouse.
4. Choose Add Spouse from the drop-down list.

   

5. Enter the name of the new spouse and click OK. Family Tree Maker displays a new family group view—this time with the new spouse.
6. To view the first spouse again, click the Spouse icon and choose his or her name from the drop-down list.

If you enter more than one spouse for an individual, you need to indicate who the preferred spouse is. (Usually this is the spouse whose children are in your direct family line.) The preferred spouse will become the default spouse displayed in the family group view, pedigree view, and charts and reports.

1. Go to the Tree tab in Family Tree Maker 2014, on the People workspace.
2. In the Index panel or pedigree view click the name of the individual with multiple spouses.
3. Click the Person tab and then click the Relationships button. You should see two names listed under the Spouses heading.

   

4. Click the name of the individual you want to make the preferred spouse. Then, in the editing panel, click the Preferred spouse checkbox.

You can view the information and children of only one spouse at a time, so you may need to switch between multiple spouses when you want to work with a specific family. You will also need to change spouses if you want to add information about that particular marriage.

1. Go to the Tree tab in Family Tree Maker 2014, on the People workspace.
2. Make sure the individual with multiple spouses is the focus of the pedigree view and the family group view.
3. In the family group view, click the Spouse button next to the individual. From the drop-down list, choose the other spouse.

The family group view now displays the individual and the alternate spouse you have selected. After making any necessary edits to this alternate spouse, click the Spouse button again to select the alternate spouse.

Setting spouse order

You can also choose the default order in which multiple spouses are displayed.

1. Go to the Tree tab in Family Tree Maker 2014, on the People workspace.
2. Click on and highlight the individual whose spouses you'll be ordering.
3. Right click on the name of the person in their information box. This is found below the pedigree view of the family tree.
4. Select and click on Set Spouse Order.

   

Note: This article is an based on an excerpt from the Family Tree Maker Companion Guide. It is included as a digital copy with Family Tree Maker.