Frequently Asked Questions

What will I find out?

Typically you will find out the following information for each of your direct ancestors, his or her spouse and possibly children:-

Full name at birth
when and where your ancestors were born
who they married
what their occupations were
where they lived and any children revealed by the censuses

Research is flexible, so I'll aim to provide the information that you are interested in, however it is impossible to predict what the outcome will be – every search is unique.

What other information can be found?

Budget permitting, the other sorts of information which can be discovered can be as follows: ships' passenger lists, First World War enlistment forms and medal cards, wills.

The further back you go, however, the less complete, accurate or reliable the available data becomes. At the very least, you could expect a name, a date and place of baptism, marriage or burial.

In addition to the above, if you are looking for more interesting information about an individual, there are numerous other sources (newspaper archives, criminal records, etc.) which can yield gems of information which are not only fascinating in themselves, but can give vital clues for further research.

How long does the research take?

A full ancestry can typically take around 3-4 months, smaller projects less, but for a guide allow around 2 weeks per generation. You'll be kept regularly informed about the progress of your research by email.

If you require some research in a hurry, don't let these timescales put you off,it is often possible to complete in less time, especially if you have an unusual surname to research.

Can you do something with my old family photographs?

I can scan your old family photographs which is a great idea as it protects the image from loss due to fire or other unforeseen circumstances.

These scanned images can then be loaded into your family tree and at an extra cost I can provide you copies of these on a CD.

What happens to my information?

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and all your details will be held securely on my system.

I will not share your information with any third party. Once your tree is completed, I will retain all your information on file for the period of two years, incase of any queries or further research is required, after that it will be destroyed.

How do I make a payment?

A deposit of 50% must be made before any research will commence. The remainder of the balance must then be paid at the end of research before any documents are handed over.

Payment will be accepted by cash, personal cheque or Paypal.