Here’s exactly how it works.

It starts with a conversation

Before I do anything, I want to understand what you’re hoping to find. Not just “I want to trace my family tree” but what’s actually driving it. Is it a specific person you’ve always wondered about? A story that’s been passed down but never verified? A brick wall you’ve been staring at for years?

The more I understand about why you’re asking, the better I can shape the research.

A clear research plan

Once we’ve agreed on the scope, I’ll put together a research plan: which records I’ll be searching, which archives I’ll be working with, and a realistic estimate of time and cost. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting before anything starts. No surprises, no hidden extras.

The research itself

This is the part I love. I work through census records, parish registers, civil registration records, wills, military records, newspapers, and a wide range of archive sources following the evidence wherever it leads.

All my research follows the Society of Genealogists’ standards of good practice: everything carefully documented, properly sourced, and honest about what remains uncertain.

Report & family tree

Every project ends with a detailed written narrative report and a clear, illustrated family tree. You’ll get a proper account of your family’s story, written to be read and enjoyed, with copies and transcriptions of the key documents so you have everything in one place.

And after that?

If the research throws up new questions, which it almost always does, I’m happy to keep going. Many of my clients come back for a second or third project once they’ve caught the bug.