Our Suffolk Family History Research Service recognizes that each client is an individual with different needs.
Some of our clients are new to genealogy and are just starting out researching their family tree. They are eager and enthusiastic to discover their ancestors but don’t really know where to start or what to do. In these cases we are pleased to offer one-to-one support and advice to help you get started.
Other clients have been interested in genealogy for several years and have already made a start in tracing their ancestors but have hit a problem which is stopping them from progressing any further. Again we would welcome you and be happy to look over what you have already discovered, discuss the problem which is blocking your progress and suggest some ways forward.
We also have clients who already have extensive knowledge and experience of discovering their ancestors and have already uncovered a large number of relatives and ancestors but live a considerable distance from Suffolk and are looking for a UK Genealogist to access local Suffolk records and documents. If this is the case we will be pleased to visit the Suffolk Records office on your behalf and obtain photocopies and/or digital photographs of any documents you require.
We also, of course, have clients who are not necessarily directly interested in family history research themselves (or do not have the time to carry out research themselves) but would like us to research the ancestors of a loved one and commission us to create a personalized bound book telling the story of their ancestors for them to present to their loved one as a gift to mark a special occasion. Again, we are happy to do this.
Bringing Your Ancestors To Life
We live in a modern world where you can access a great deal of genealogy data over the internet instantly. You may, yourself, have so far been discovering you family tree using these online services. But Birth, Marriage and Death dates are really no more than just dates and it may not be long before you wish to learn more about these names you have discovered and desire to know more about them as people. Were they wealthy or poor? Which school did they attend and were they ever punished for bad behaviour? Did they ever do anything worthy of mention in their local newspaper? Did they serve in the armed forces? Did they ever spend time in jail? What was the village like they lived in? Your ancestors are more than just statistics… they were living people! Take a look at our Genealogy Sources page to get an idea of the very wide range of documents and records professional genealogists, such as ourselves, can access and, if you would like to discover more detail about the names you have discovered use our Research Request Webmail Form to contact us without obligation or commitment.
Family History Research vs Local History Research
The majority of our clients ask us to assist them with their Family History Research but we have many who require assistance with Local History Research. We are pleased to help with either type of research. Indeed, as our client’s research becomes more advanced what starts out as researching individuals often turns into research of the house and area in which they lived so as to “add flesh to the bones” and help bring the lives of their ancestors to life.
If you have an interest in any particular villages or towns within Suffolk then why not use our Contact Us Webmail Form to chat to us about your interest.
Pay-As-You-Go Genealogy Research vs Fixed Price Research
There is much debate about which is the best way to pay for your Family History Research. Some clients prefer paying per hour whereas others prefer to purchase a fixed price package.
Once again we recognize each client is different and your are welcome to pay either way.
Some clients feel paying per hour (and receiving a Formal Report at the end of each research session) is more “hands-on” and exciting as they see our progress “as it happens” and feels it gives them more opportunity to control and steer progress with their own ideas.
Other clients prefer to make larger lump sum payments to take advantage of the discounts we offer when several hours are booked at a time and then ask us to break this purchased research time down into smaller one, or two, hour chunks allowing them to save money on their payments yet, at the same time, still receive a series of Formal Reports at the end of each mini session allowing them to guide our research along the paths they are most interested in.
Again, of course we have clients (particularly those who lead busy lives, or want us to create a personalized book to give to a loved one as a gift) who just want to make a single, fixed price, payment and prefer us to research their ancestors and only contact them again when we have completed the work they have commissioned.
Finally of course we have clients who have never used the services of a Professional Genealogist before and prefer to just purchase a single hour research time, study the Formal Report we send to them at the end of the session and then discuss our recommendations for further study before deciding on where to go from there.
Whatever way you wish to use our services we are happy to adapt to your requirements. Simply send us an email using our Contact Us Webmail Form letting us know what you would like us to do and we will be happy to talk things over with you without any obligation or commitment.