Family Detective

In response to numerous requests from our clients, Family Detective Researchers will be travelling to the Irish National Archive in Dublin this April to search through the pre-1880 Parish Records. If you would like to be a part of this exciting opportunity, please read our Irish Ancestors Newsletter.

To register an interest in having your Irish heritage researched, just complete the form by clicking the link below, and one of our researchers will be in touch to discuss the details.

Our most interesting find this week was on the 1881 census.

It reads:

Florian was staying with Charles James and his family who were Acrobats from the Bristol area.

Wouldn't you like to know who's hanging about in your tree?

In 1768, the church began to levy a fee for marriage ceremonies, which meant that many young couples were unable or unwilling to pay. Because of this, the ancient custom of handfesting became popular. A couple would become betrothed by making a pledge to each other before a village Elder or other recognised figure of authority. They would then remain together for a year and a day after which time they could decide to stay together for life or walk away and make another choice.

This week we have been finishing off a Platinum family history which has proved to be full of interesting ancestors. Our client's great great grandfather, Sir Graham Berry, emigrated to Australia and became a famous politician, there is also a Bootmaker, Robert Dixon Box, who has a whole museum exhibition dedicated to him and Henry Dixon Dixon-Wright who became a Chaplain and died in the Battle of Jutland.

What secrets are there hiding in your tree? Why not uncover them today!

Our researchers recently discovered a death certificate which had cited cause of death as "Visitation from God". What a way to go! (It probably referred to old age or natural causes, in fact.)

The Family Detective research team returned to their desks this week, happy and refreshed after a wonderful Christmas break. To the many of you who received your Family Detective research package for Christmas, we hope it was all you expected, and more!

To those interested in commissioning your own Family History research, now is just the right time! Our packages make the process very straightforward to understand and, because of our fixed-price system, you know exactly how much you pay. To all our customers, old and new, we wish a very Happy New Year!

Our offices are now closed for Christmas and will re-open Monday 28th December. This means we will not be taking telephone orders, however our website remains open 24/7, so if you're interested in having us trace your Family History, feel free to complete our enquiry form.

We hope you all have a very happy Christmas and a good New Year!

"I just wanted to say a big thank you for our family tree. My Dad loved it. We went away on holiday for his and my Mum's birthdays - luckily it arrived just in time to take with us. Dad was really impressed - thank you very much for all of you hard work."

We came across this young female servant on the 1841 census in Wales. Mary Not Known was 20 and living with the Rees family and was obviously orphaned or abandoned at an early age.

Unlike poor Mary, most of us have the opportunity to discover where we came from and who our ancestors were. Don't miss the opportunity of finding out about your family history. Ask your loved ones for a Family Detective Gift Certificate for your Christmas present this year!

?They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.?