Can anyone recommend a professional family history researcher?

[frisbyrat]

I started looking into my dad's mum's side of the family, but don't really have enough time to carry on now. I'd like to find someone to take over (I think I'd got to the local registry office stage, anyway, which would mean lots of trips to Chelmsford!)
I know it meant a lot to my dad - when his mum died, his own dad destroyed all papers and photos - so I'd like to see if a professional can dig up more than I managed.

Has anyone got any recommendations, please?

I'm not sure anyone here has used prfoessional resources - we're mostly amatuers - but I bet if you gave over some info to one of us, we'd have a good crack.

When you say you're at local registry office stage - what do you mean? There is nothing a local office can tell you that you can't get off the internet - ancestry, or ordering certs from the GRO -

I'm always up for a bit of nosing - cat me with what you have, or just a little, and I'll see what I can find if you want.

i don't mind helping out where I can. You may be surprised what is available online.

[email protected]

shrinkingsagpuss -- she may mean county archives (parish registers, Poor Law papers, etc.) rather than registry office as such.

ah. indeed. good point.

Oops, sorry! Just came back to this. If you're serious, then yes, I'd love someone to do the hard work a guiding hand. I shall try and look out the notes I'd taken so far over the next few days, and email you, eidsvold.
I don't have cat, shrinkingbagpuss, but you can email me on frisbyrat "at" hotmail "dot" com. And yes, I think I was at the county archives stage (hence Chelmsford). Ooh, I'm quite excited now!

you may find there are some parish records for Essex online. You can also try the national archives - surprised what turns up there.

What a shame if you had done this a few years ago I lived just outside chelmsford and may have been able to do it for you.

What am I saying - I wish I had the info I do now when I lived in the UK and it was so much easier to do it than try to do it online from Aus.