How do I know what to ask for?

In my experience, each client has different requirements, and many repeat clients vary what they ask for, with every project. I therefore encourage you to get in touch for a free conversation about what you wish to find out. I can then advise on what will work best, give you a realistic idea of how feasible the research will be, and an idea of costs.

I offer up to an hour’s discussion by telephone, Zoom or WhatsApp Video call - This will give us an opportunity to discuss and agree your research requirements in more detail, leading to the potential costs.

Research Options

A simple service to try and help you get past a specific brickwall in your own research.

£30 per hour

Subject to a 2 hour minimum charge.

A more in-depth review of your own data to check its validity, help fill gaps and set you back on the right track.

£30 per hour

Booked in advance in blocks of time, to suit your budget (minimum 4 hours).

A fully personalised service, tailored to what you want to know about your ancestors (more details below).

I normally offer a Fixed Price Quotation for this type of research.

Research into previous owners of vintage cars, mapping of family trees and tracing descendants, to search for memorabilia and photos (more details below).

I can offer either a Fixed Price Quotation or research billed at £30 per hour, depending on the scope agreed.

Full Research Service

The nature of the research will be guided by your specific interests. Do you have a family story or puzzle that you want to investigate? Perhaps you just want to know why your ancestors travelled and what they did for a living or to learn more about what their lives were like set against the social history of the time.

The report can then be personalised, if you wish, with the inclusion of family photo’s etc. Each project will be different and so it can be difficult to estimate how long it will take but I am happy to do the work in stages, with an agreed budget for each stage.

Vintage Car Ownership History

Typically, the current owners of vintage cars, ask me to research the family trees of known previous owners. This may include:

• Finding out what the owners family backgrounds and occupations etc.

• Mapping their family trees, looking for living descendants.

• Tracing, where possible, those descendants to see if they have any memorabilia or photos of the car.

• Their racing history

I have undertaken projects about many marques, including:

• Lagonda

• Bentley

• Jaguar

• Vauxhall

• Alvis

• Austin

• Frazer Nash

I enjoy working on 20th century research and applying my skills to vintage cars has grown into a fascinating specialism. Many of my projects are for repeat clients, and I have built up a close relationship with some, as we work our way through their collection.

Equally exciting discoveries have come from sources as varied as a 1937 letter from the AA, found in a box of second-hand spare parts for a 1930’s Austin 10.

What you will get from me

Access to standard genealogy websites which incur annual subscription costs are included. Typical records used for all assignments are births/baptisms, marriages, deaths/burials and censuses.

Pay-per-view sites such as ScotlandsPeople, which is as key source for research in Scotland, will be charged at cost. Copies of birth, marriage and death certificates will be obtained as digital versions where permissible or hard copies and also charged at cost. A suitable budget for the use of any such sources will be agreed before any costs are incurred.

Digital (PDF) files of the research findings are provided upon completion and I retain the copyright on all reports. The format will depend on the Option chosen but typically for Brickwall and Family Tree Audits include:

• Family Tree Chart

• Details by ancestor of the information found

• Summary of any research problems identified

• Suggestion for next steps

Lead times for delivery depend on the level of service required and current availability but can usually be measured in weeks. If you have a particular deadline such as a family event, there may be some flexibility, if discussed before work begins.