How I work
Whatever I produce, and how far I take the research, is entirely dependent on the customer's wishes.
I will regularly keep the customer informed of my progress, and of costings so far. I generally suggest
that customers to pay in installments as the research progresses.
My charges start from £22.00 per hour, plus expenses for certificates, documents, etc, and any travel costs. I will always check with the customer
before making a long journey to a county records office, etc.
Of course, family trees can take years to research. However, a great deal can be achieved within the first few weeks
or months, and family trees can be picked up again years later and worked on further. That is the addiction of
family research: there is always more to find out.
A helping hand
Family tree research is becoming more and more popular. Many of my customers have already spent a great deal of time on their trees,
and just need help past that frustrating brick wall that can appear from time to time. For me, these jobs are
just as satisfying as starting from scratch, and I am always willing to assist someone with their research,
however small the job might be.
A family tree
I find that most customers do not necessarily want to trace their family roots back hundreds of years,
but simply want to know more about their 19th and 20th century ancestors. There is so much information that can be gleaned
from records of the passed 200 years, and concentrating on this relatively recent history allows for in depth, quality research.
However, tracing a family back prior to the 1800s can still yield much information.
In this computer age, it is very easy to obtain software to help you to draw your family tree. However, I prefer the
traditional pen and ink method, which I believe is far more pleasing to the eye, and will never look 'out of date'.
I use indian ink, and good quality artists' paper, which means it can be rolled and tied up on presentation to the
customer.
The trees I produce are generally A2-sized (60cm x 42cm), and show all the direct ancestors, their siblings,
and their spouses. The trees also note the years of birth, marriage and death of each ancestor. (See example below).