Questions, answered straight

Standard packages take 4–10 weeks depending on scope; the Heritage Collection and books run 3–6 months. I’d rather give you an honest timescale than a fast one — and you can watch progress in your client portal throughout.

Original sources: census returns (1841–1921), the 1939 Register, civil birth/marriage/death records from 1837, parish registers, wills and probate, military service records, newspapers, directories and county archive holdings. Every fact in your report is sourced, so it can be verified or extended later.

For most English and Welsh families: the early 1800s reliably, often into the 1700s via parish registers, occasionally further. Scottish and Irish research have different (in Scotland’s case, often better) records. I’ll assess your particular lines honestly before you commit.

My specialism is the UK and Ireland. For lines that emigrate or arrive, I trace the migration itself (passenger lists, naturalisation) and can advise on trusted researchers in the destination country.

Perfect — I build on it rather than redo it. Existing trees are verified (gently; long-held family stories are handled with tact) and the gaps filled. Books from existing research are some of my favourite projects.

Fixed prices, published on the pricing page: packages at £245, £545 and £1,495; consultations £75–£125; heirloom books from £950. No hourly mysteries, no surprise invoices.

Yes — 50% to commission a project, the balance on completion. The Heritage Collection can be paid in four instalments.

Two parts. First, every project starts with a free viability assessment — if I don’t believe your research can succeed, I’ll tell you before you spend anything. Second, if a commissioned project genuinely finds nothing beyond what you already had, I refund 90% of the fee.

You do — copyright in your report and charts is assigned to you. It’s your family’s story; that shouldn’t be controversial, but in this industry it’s rarer than you’d think.

A written narrative — the story of the people, not a spreadsheet of dates — plus a designed family tree chart, copies of every record found, and a full source list. Download a real sample report from the free guide page and judge for yourself.

Both. Reports and charts arrive printed and posted, with digital copies of everything including the records themselves.

Yes — extra booklet copies are £65, and book print files are yours, so more copies can always be made.

Yes, and it’s wonderful — but commissioned research takes 3–4 months, so it can’t be a last-minute one. For birthdays and Christmas, gift vouchers are the honest option: instant, beautiful, and the recipient provides their own family details when they redeem.

Choose an amount (from £100) or a package voucher; you receive a printable voucher by email within minutes. The recipient redeems online within 12 months. If their research proves unviable, the voucher is refunded in full.

Wokingham, Berkshire, with regular access to county record offices and The National Archives at Kew. Clients are everywhere: everything can be done by phone, video call and post.

Confidentially, under UK GDPR. Your details are used only for your research, never shared or sold, and deleted on request — see the privacy policy for the full picture.

Book a free 15-minute call. No obligation, no sales pitch — you tell me what you’d like to discover, and I’ll tell you honestly whether research can deliver it.