This package includes direct ancestors along one surname of your choice: parent, grandparent, great grandparent, GG grandparent, GGG grandparent, etc, plus all spouses of each (but not their parentage or ancestry) and all children born to each generation. In-depth research of the children of each marriage who are not direct ancestors will not be included, but baptisms, entries on censuses and any other information while they remain at the family home will be included. In the image below it is the mother’s surname that is to be researched – her father’s paternal line.

To give you an example of what might be included in this package. In my own family tree, to take my mother’s paternal line back to those living as at 1837/1841, includes four generations: my grandfather and his eight siblings plus my grandmother; my great grandfather and his seven siblings, plus my great grandmother; my GG grandfather and his six siblings, plus my GG grandmother; and my GGG grandfather, who was born in 1787 and died in 1862. His first wife, my 3G grandmother, died shortly before the 1841 census, and my 3G grandfather had a second, rather short-lived marriage, with one more child. That ‘one-surname’ tree, then, includes thirty-one people, eight of them direct descendants.

See the image below.

If the line you choose to research is your own surname, this would follow your father’s father’s father’s (etc) line. See below. If you are male, or if a close male direct descendant of one of the men on this line were to take a Y-DNA test, this is the exact line we would expect to see evidenced by the Y-DNA test.

You’ll get from me a full report of all research carried out, including:

• Around 30 to 40 A4 pages including text, images of documents and family tree charts
• Names of your direct line along the chosen surname back to around 1800-1837 (or earlier if appropriate), dates of their significant life events, where they lived at various stages of their lives, their occupation
• Names and significant dates of spouses
• Names and birth years of all children born to all marriages
• Copies and transcriptions (where necessary) of all records identified and drawn upon in the research. This will include digital images of the records where these are available online. The research will focus primarily on: Civil Birth, Marriage and Death entries on online registers; Religious Baptism, Marriage and Burial register entries; Census returns
• The cost of this package will include a maximum of four digital downloads of Civil Birth and/or Death entries on the General Register Office (GRO) Birth and Death registers. The full GRO reference information for all Civil Birth, Marriage and Death records identified in the research will be included, so that you can choose to purchase any of these direct from the GRO if desired, after the research.
• Other documents that may be included include Municipal Cemetary registers; Military Attestation, Service Record or Pension documentation; Newspaper reports; Criminal records; Electoral, Poll Book or Directory entries; entries on the England & Wales Index of Wills and Administrations. Again, copies of actual post-1858 Probate documents and Wills will not be included, although upon receipt of my report you may wish to purchase any of these direct through the appropriate website
• A family tree chart including all direct ancestors identified during the research
• Smaller family trees showing all family members for different family units, where this is appropriate
• I will also highlight if there seems to be an interesting ‘story’ attached to one of the characters not covered in the main report, that you might enjoy exploring afterwards
• Any further areas for potential research that you might like to explore will also be included.
• The report will be delivered to you by email so that you can print it off on good quality paper and keep in an attractive folder.

Before we start
We need to be sure I home in on the right family, so I will ask you for certain essential information before we start. This is the kind of information I’ll need:

• Yours (or the recipients’) parents’ names, with dates and places of birth, and the same for grandparents along the appropriate side if you have it
• Copies (photos/scans) of any relevant birth, marriage and death certificates you already have
• Any other information you have about family members – like the name of a great uncle – along with known or likely years of birth, death, etc. This can help to home in on the right family, particularly if the surname is not uncommon
• Please note that this is not for you if you are researching your family and have hit a brick wall, or if you would like me to check research you’ve already done. If that sounds like what you need, please visit my Custom Research page.

• This is based on 10 to 12 hours of research and report writing. The upper end of this may be needed if you have more generations within this timeframe, or if untangling the ancestral trail becomes unusually complex
• There is an allowance within this amount for up to four digital downloads of civil Birth or Death Register entries
• In the event that parish Marriage records are not available online for the location of your ancestors; and where obtaining the record is essential for the progress of the research, this will be explained to you and will be charged at cost, currently £12.50
• If required, additional digital downloads of Civil Birth and Death Register entries, over the four included in this package, will be charged at cost, currently £3
• Unavailability of records resulting in inability to trace the line would reduce the cost.

Variations on this package

• You could choose to extend the research. This might be something you would want to do after receiving the report – perhaps to follow up on a particular ancestor or a story.

Testimonials from happy clients

Janice, has done a sterling job on tracking and researching my rather confusing paternal line, due to name changes, mostly un-official! Ha!

This has been an exciting and fascinating journey over these last couple of weeks.  Mysteries have been revealed and closed and it’s great to be able to look back at where my family came from, who they were and what they did.

Janice does a fantastic job if you are looking to dig into your distant past.
Many thanks Janice!

Carl S, March 2021