Interpreting the Trussell Family Tree I am having trouble interpreting a family tree of the Trussell family that I found: ! Specifically, near the top right, I see: "WILLIAM = ROHESE dau[ghter] and heir of WILLIAM PANTULF of Cublesdon Staffs: Justice of the Common Pleas 1268". A line goes down and left to "MAUD" in "WILLIAM = MAUD dau[ghter] and heir of WARIN MANWARING of WIRMINGHAM CHES". The line makes it look as though the first WILLIAM and ROHESE are the parents of MAUD, but the text makes me think MAUD's father is WARIN MANWARING. What is the most likely interpretation?

Maud's father is Warin Mainwaring.

The tree is following the male line of descent otherwise known as patrilineal descent, so the lines go from father to son. The only exception to this is when there is no male heir.