FAQs

What information do you need to get started?

Very little! Some clients will start from scratch, having only their own birth certificate, or the date of their parent's marriage, whilst others will have carried out a great deal of research before approaching me. The best way to start is to let me know what you want to achieve, tell me what you know already, and we can get started.

How long will the research take?

All research will be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible. A small search (for example, a search for a baptism or burial) can normally be carried out within a week. More involved research will take longer, especially if it is necessary to wait for certificates or index searches. However, you will be kept informed of progress and advised if there is likely to be a delay for any reason. If you would like to commission research to give as a present, please let me know the date you need it by so that it can be sent to you in plenty of time.

Where do you carry out research?

I visit the main archives in Kent on a regular basis, e.g. Canterbury Cathedral Archives, the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone, the East Kent Archives and the Medway Archives. I also use local studies libraries and museums to search for specific information and often visit parish churches to find memorial inscriptions and other records which have not been deposited at the archives. I am happy to take photographs of places of interest if required.

How will the information be presented?

You will receive a report detailing all the findings about your ancestry, together with copies of certificates, parish register entries, census returns and other relevant documents. A copy of the report can also be emailed to you if required.

If you have commissioned a house history, this can be presented as a report, or a framed document. Please contact me for details.

How far back can my family be traced?

Using the whole range of records available, it could be possible to trace a family line back to the 16th century or even earlier. We are fortunate in Kent that so may parish records have survived, many back to 1538. However, each family history is different, and whilst some can be traced back to the 16th century or even earlier with relative ease, others may be more elusive. Many clients will have carried out some of their own research before ‘losing’ an ancestor, but using my knowledge and experience of the available records it is often possible to track them down.

What happens if my ancestors are traced to another county, away from Kent?

Whilst some families remained in the same area or parish for generations, others were surprisingly mobile, moving around to find work, when they married or for other reasons. At times this resulted in them moving across county boundaries, and from Kent they may have moved to neighbouring Sussex, to London, or further afield. In this case I would assist a client to find a reliable professional researcher in the relevant area; you can then contact the researcher yourself or I can manage the work on your behalf, the choice is yours.