Frequently Asked Questions

This will be determined by the scope of the research and the demands it makes in terms of access to resources. Research in online sources available for free or through subscription service to which I have access may be relatively quick. Historic birth and death certificates purchased from the General Records Office (GRO) are now downloadable on demand, but certificates for more recent births and death and all marriage certificates are delivered by post and usually take around 10-14 days to arrive. I will provide an estimation of how the long the research might take after our initial consultation. During the research process, I will keep you updated on my progress and inform you immediately of any developments that might significantly affect the timeline.

I completed my genealogical training on the MSc programme at the University of Strathclyde, from which I hold an MSc in Genealogical, Heraldic and Palaeographic Studies with Distinction. I am a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and am bound by their professional code.

Unless otherwise agreed, I retain the copyright to my research, including any charts, reports, transcriptions and translations produced by me. As the client, will be authorised by me to share the report etc. produced as the result of the research commission with a small number of other people for personal and private use, but it should not be further published without my prior consent. Any material included in my work to which I do not own the copyright will be fully acknowledged. This material (which might include photographs or digital copies of historic documents etc.) remains the copyright of the owner and should not be further published. Documents obtained from the General Register Office by me acting as your agent are owned by you, but remain the copyright of the Crown and will be fully acknowledged in my work. As per my Terms and Conditions (which can be downloaded from my website), I may incorporate the results of the research I complete in academic coursework I set for genealogy students, in talks I give or in publications I write. No information about living people would be revealed. I may also seek specific permission to publish extracts from my research.

I will aim to agree a budget for the research that is realistic, taking into consideration the scope of the research, the time and resources it is likely to require, and the nature of the end product. Larger or more complex research commissions will naturally take more time to complete. My time is charged at £30 per hour for research and report-writing. The research may also require the purchase of additional documents that are not available through the services to which I subscribe. If visits to archives are required, I charge travel at a rate of £0.45 per mile. Archives often charge for the copying or photographing of documents (there is no charge for viewing and transcription). Software-generated genealogical reports are quick to produce, but bespoke, handwritten text naturally takes more time. These are the kinds of things we will discuss in our initial consultation in order that you are fully informed and in control of the budget. I will never incur additional costs or continue into additional research time without your prior agreement. I reserve the right to adjust my pricing based on the nature of the research commission.

I take my responsibilites to my clients in regard to their privacy and the security of their data very seriously. As a genealogist, most of my work concerns people who have died and who are not subject to GDPR. The records I consult are usually in the public domain. The data I hold on living individuals generally relates to my clients themselves, and in respect of this I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. Please refer to my Privacy Policy for details of what personal information I hold and how I might use it. Under the General Data Protections Regulations (GDPR) – (EU) 2016/679) the Researcher is not required to gain the consent of every living person (other than the client) found within the conducted research if it “proves impossible or would involve a disproportionate effort” for historical research purposes. As per my Terms and Conditions (which can be downloaded from my website), I may incorporate the results of the research I complete in academic coursework I set for genealogy students, in talks I give or in publications I write. No information about living people would be revealed. I may also seek specific permission to publish extracts from my research.

I can guarantee that I will approach the research commission respectfully and honestly. If I don't think I can help you or give you value for money, then I will tell you at the point of our initial consultation. By accepting a research commission, however, I cannot guarantee success - it is not until the research begins that I will discover whether records exist/are available. If I encounter problems in the research process, then I will let you know immediately and stop researching until we have agreed next steps. Similarly, I cannot guarantee that the research will reveal what you are expecting. Genealogical research may not support a long-held belief, or may reveal potentially upsetting events such as criminality or suicide. As the client, I will always report these findings to you unless you tell me not to; it is your choice whether you pass on these findings to others.