As an Isle of Wight-based genealogist much of the research I’m asked to do involves family lines here on the Island. At the present time no Isle of Wight parish records or Bishop’s Transcripts are available online via any of the subscription websites. This, combined with the time, inconvenience and cost of travelling to the Island, can make hiring a professional genealogist a useful option. However, there is much more at the local Record Office than just the parish registers. Depending on the location of your ancestors we may be able to build not only a reliable family tree but also draw upon records from manors, boroughs, courts, wider parish records, tithes and other maps and a whole range of other record sets to really get to know your family and the lives they had.

If you’d like me to carry out work for you, I can take on the full agreed project. I can also provide a second look at work you’ve already done, and suggest additional ways to verify and enhance your research. If you’re an advanced level or professional genealogist, I can examine and copy specific documents identified by you, or I can take on the Isle of Wight part of your client’s brief, working via you if preferred.

That said, there are some special features about Isle of Wight genealogy research that must be borne in mind. In the absence of fully indexed online content, visits to the local archives commence with a review of a hand-written card index including all entries on the parish registers and certain other local records, together with examination of catalogues relating to different parts of the Island or different ‘themes’ or topics. This is a time-consuming task, and the extra time it takes to work this way should be factored in when deciding whether to employ a genealogist. I’ve put more information about this on a separate page about records and research on the Isle of Wight. It’s worth reading that whether you plan to work with me or do the work yourself.

Other nearby archives
Because of the nature of maritime communities in the past, there is often a fair bit of movement between the Island and the south coast of England. Sometimes ancestors move away completely; others may move here for only two or three generations. Therefore, even with an Isle of Wight-focused project, it may occasionally be necessary to visit other archives on your behalf. Alternatively, with your agreement, a fully-qualified and AGRA-accredited professional genealogist may be engaged to carry out the mainland aspects of your family research.

The archives I can visit are as follows:

• Isle of Wight County Records Office, at Newport IOW. Information and contact details for the Records Office are [here].
• Hampshire County Record Office, at Winchester. Search the online catalogue [here].
• Southampton Archives. Information and contact details for the Records Office are [here].
• Portsmouth Archives and History Centre. Information and contact details are [here].
• West Sussex County Records Office, at Chichester. Search the online catalogue [here].
• If an in-progress research project extends to other archives not included in the above list a visit may be possible.

Fees and other charges
This work is charged at £35 per hour. Research expenses are billed at cost.

For parish records, the document format available to me is generally microfiche images (black on white) of the original documents. Should photographs of any of the microfiched documents be required there is a £5 charge for a photography permit. For all other records I work with the original documents.

Travel expenses
Travel on the Isle of Wight: no charge.
Travel to West Sussex County Record Office and Hampshire Country Record Office will be by public transport and is billed at cost.

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As an Associate of AGRA – the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives, I undertake to operate fully according to the professional standards set down by the AGRA Code of Practice and ethics.  I also offer clients the peace of mind of the AGRA Complaints Procedure.