Tips From a Professional Genealogist

Tips From a Professional Genealogist

Use tips from a professional genealogist to help with your family research. Here at Hall of Names, we specialise in coats of arms and surname histories. We love to hear our customers’ stories about their families and are often asked for advice on how to go about tracing an individual family tree, or a specific line of the family.

There are lots of websites out there to help with your research, and magazines with great articles, offering advice and guidance for the family history enthusiast. But what if you simply don’t have the time or confidence to embark on this journey of family discovery alone? This is where tips from a professional genealogist could help.

We work with specialists in the field and have been kindly offered the following advice from midlands-based experts ‘Ancestors Professional Genealogy Service’.

They have over 25 years’ experience tracing family trees, so know all the tricks of the trade to succeed where others have failed. They hold a Diploma in Genealogy from the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, and can help you research your past and find lost relatives.

Getting started

Do you know the names of your great-grandparents? If, like a great number of people, you want to add some branches to your family tree, a professional genealogist can help. By searching local and national record and tracing your family history back as far as it can go.

With just your name, date of birth and where you were born, the research can begin. Any extra information you can provide is a bonus (you don’t want to duplicate anything you already know), but with these three simple pieces of information professional genealogists can work their magic!

Their knowledge and wealth of experience can be used to your advantage. Janet Carter of Ancestors Professional Genealogy Service explains: “We can tailor our research to suit you. We can research one of your parents’ family histories, or both. Extend your family tree as far backwards as possible, or search for more members of the same generation – it’s up to you. Alternatively, you might like us to learn more about a specific member of your family, learn about more recent generations or search for living relatives”.

How does genealogy work?

Professional Genealogists search through the countless public records to find information on their client’s family history. By using birth, death and marriage certificates, census, parish records of baptisms, burials and marriages, wills and countless others, we can slowly piece your family tree together. .

This could include information about the most significant events in the life of a family member. And there is potential to find out fascinating information!

What is the advantage of using a professional genealogist?

Although it is possible to search through these records yourself, there are countless advantages to using a genealogy service. Websites often offer online access to public records in exchange for a subscription fee. However, they don’t necessarily have all the records you need.

A genealogist can access public records anywhere in the country on your behalf. This saves you the time and effort involved in finding and interpreting the records yourself.

A personal approach

Janet explains a little more about the services she and her colleagues can offer: “For over 25 years, the Genealogists at Ancestors Professional Genealogy have been helping people all over the United Kingdom and further afield find out more about their friends and family. Genealogy is our passion, and every research project we undertake is more than just a job. We certainly and truly enjoy the process of discovering our client’s past. We are happy to share this intensely rewarding process with as many people as possible. Our services also include: family tree building house histories record searches adopted & missing person searches”

To speak to Janet or one of the team call 0121 2464260.

Interested in other articles about tracing your family tree? See the following blog posts:

Tracing your Welsh Ancestors

Top ten tips on to start your family research

Start your family research

What’s in a name? (How certain names can dominate a local area)

Tracing your Irish roots

Who’s who in your family?

Does my family name have a coat of arms?

The hidden meaning behind surnames 

For a wide range of gifts that will impress the family tree enthusiast, be sure to visit our shop.