Genealogy
ANYONE HIRED A GENEALOGIST?
GoldFrankincenseandMerlin · 16/12/2008 20:14
That's it really - interested to know costs involved and also any recommendations please?
Thanks.
Ivykaty44 · 16/12/2008 22:36
Costs vary for record searchers and family history researchers, from £6 per hour to £150 for three generations or sometimes £25-45 per hour.
It depends what you want done, where the ancestors are as to who you should employ. A lot of private researchers will cover more than one office/area and so if your ancestors are covering county boarders this may be the option for you. if they are all in one tight knite place then maybe an archive resarcher would be better, they will know the area and have all the info to hand.
If you do employ someone make sure you know exactly what you are paying for time wise etc - are you paying for the time on the train to get to the archive or from when they arrive at the office?
If you are looking for milatry records employ someone who is in the correct area and knows what they are doing - they will get results where they are to be found as they will have the experiance.
Lastly what is it that you are hoping to get from a researcher?
Ivykaty44 · 16/12/2008 22:39
Sorry just to add, cant really recommend someone - dont know which area of the country your research is in? researchers often stick to their own areas i.e. Midlands will cover Birmingham/Worcestershire/Staffordshire - West Country will cover Exeter/North Devon
They get to know the office/archives and so will stick to the area they know, this also reduces travelling time.
GoldFrankincenseandMerlin · 16/12/2008 22:43
Thanks for that Ivy. We are trying to find out info on my mother's biological mother (she was adopted and has only just told us).
BUT the problem is the only info we have is her name and the fact that she was Swiss. No other info at all so I wondered if a geneologist may have more of an idea of where to search - if any!
Ivykaty44 · 16/12/2008 23:02
where did the adoption take place? ie which country or county?
GoldFrankincenseandMerlin · 17/12/2008 20:58
Mum was adopted here in Sussex - she has her adoption file which unfortunately has next to nothing info on her biological mother - just a name and the fact that she returned to Switzerland.
Bit like looking for a needle in a haystack!!!
Ivykaty44 · 19/12/2008 17:57
I would contact the sussex county record office/archive. Do this by letter or email, give as much information as you have and ask if they have any nursing home records where your mother may have been born.
These types of records may give further information about the bio mother.
due to FOI they will/should look for you to see if there is any info (your mother has to do this but really as it is her details)
Addresses and such like may be somewhere in these records but there is no garuntee
Will think on the swiss part and may get back to you after xmas.
Do try rootschat for in of searching in europe/swiss
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