A: Yes. Naturally, it is likely that at least one person on a family tree will move away from the area. Also, stepping back a generation or two, one might find that their ancestors were not from Sussex or Kent at all. This research may become more of a challenge, but will not be a problem.
Q: How far do you go back?
A: The initial service I provide should take your family back to the early 1800s. However, this can extend much further back, given time and availability of sources.
Q: How long will it take?
A: It depends on the available information and how extensive the customer wants the research to be. A full tree, going back to about 1800 should take around 2-3 months. This is not something I rush through in order to get done as quick as possible. Of course, family trees can take years to fully research. However, the initial service I provide will produce an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to delve even deeper into their family history.
Q: What information will you need to start your research?
A: Ideally I would need the name and place of birth of any ancestors who were alive at the time of the 1901 census. However, details of marriages or births in the early 1900s would probably be a sufficient starting point.
Q: How much do you charge?
A: Again, this depends on the size and scope of the individual customer's family tree. My charge is £9.00 per hour. I will also need to order birth, marriage, and death certificates. These will cost just £7.00 each. (I usually need to obtain around 5-7 of these in order to obtain vital information). I update my customers every couple of weeks, so that they are fully aware of the running costs. Completed projects usually run from between £250 and £450.
Q: Do I need to pay in advance?
A: I generally request one or two instalments as the work progresses. The full balance can be paid on completion of the research.
Q: Can you guarentee you will be able to produce a full, detailed tree?
A: If there is not enough information initially available, research may be severely hampered. Also, very occasionally, one can hit a dead-end. I do not guess, and I do not assume anything. Therefore, I will not take the "probable" family line for want of a definate path; it is simply not fair on the customer.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.
Example excerpts of a presentation package
A trip round Sussex, in photographs