A family tree becomes useful when you can see why each person belongs in it. I build or review trees from the most recent reliable generation backwards, checking the records behind each relationship and marking gaps where the evidence is still incomplete.
Ways I can help with a family tree
- Building a tree from a known person backwards
- Extending one selected ancestral line
- Reviewing and correcting an existing online tree
- Finding records for a family branch or geographic area
- Adding full source references and research notes
- Preparing a narrative report that explains the family’s story
Deciding where to begin
The first stage works best when it has a boundary: perhaps one branch, one uncertain relationship or a set number of research hours. Larger trees can then be developed in stages, giving you a chance to review what has been found before choosing which line to follow next.
A focused verification or a small record question may fit the Quick Search. Building or correcting several generations is charged at £35 per hour and will usually begin with a five-hour research stage before we review what remains.
Sources and existing trees
I may use civil registration, census returns, parish and church registers, probate, newspapers, military records, immigration sources, archive catalogues and other collections relevant to the time and place. I regularly work with platforms including Ancestry and FamilySearch, alongside specialist databases and regional archives.
For an Irish branch, my guide to IrishGenealogy.ie explains how to search civil and parish records, recognise name variants and check a promising entry against the original image.
If you already have an online tree, you can provide a view-only or collaborator link where the platform allows it, or send a GEDCOM file, screenshots and copies of the records you have used. Please do not send account passwords.
Building one generation at a time
I begin with the most recent person whose identity is secure and move back one relationship at a time. Public trees can suggest names or places to investigate, but the connection only goes into the researched tree once the underlying records support it. Conflicting ages, places or relationships are checked against the wider family before I decide which interpretation fits best.
How I return the research
Depending on the project, I may return a sourced tree, a written report, record images or references, a research log and notes on unresolved branches. The format is agreed at the start so it suits the job being done.
How far the tree can go
The timetable depends on the number of generations, the places involved, record availability and whether certificates or archive material must be ordered. I provide an estimated timetable after reviewing the starting information and proposed scope.
Some lines can be followed for many generations; others stop where records are missing or several people cannot be distinguished with confidence. When that happens, I leave the uncertain link open, record what has been checked and explain which source or clue would be most useful next.
Before I begin
- The most recent confirmed names, dates and places
- Copies of certificates, family documents and photographs
- Links or exports from existing family trees
- Previous research reports or notes
- Whether you want breadth across several branches or depth on one line
Examples from real research
The Louisa Gierschick case study shows how a family line moved beyond online databases through direct church correspondence, while the Henry Logan case study demonstrates the care needed when documentary records, migration and DNA must be considered together. The John Peel case study shows why a rumoured connection should be tested generation by generation rather than copied from an existing tree.