My ancestor was a...
Frequently Asked Questions
For our popular Family Tree packages, whether you select one line, two lines or a full
package, we'll aim to discover when and where your ancestors were born; who they
married; what their occupations were; where they lived and any children as revealed by
the censuses. It's not usually necessary to obtain death certificates for the purpose
of proving one's ancestry, however if you'd like details of what your ancestors died
from we can order these. Death certificates are often thought of as a waste of money
from a research perspective and in a sense they are - they don't provide any link to any
other relatives in the same way that birth and marriage certificates do. However,
they shouldn't be dismissed, as often these are the one piece of information that
makes your relative feel more real to you than any other.
Research is flexible,
so we'll aim to provide the information that you are interested in.
Your package will contain the following items:
-Family History Report - This will tell you all about the lives
of your ancestors - where they were born, where they lived,
what they did for a living etc. (For an example, click
here
)
-Family Tree Diagram (with a background image of your
choice. For an example, click
here
)
- A standard genealogy format report listing all the relevant ancestors in a logical order -
presenting each successive generation in turn.
-A .gedcom file - This file is provided upon request, and is the default file type used in
Family Tree software. Should you wish to continue the research yourself, you can use this
file yourself to access the family tree.
For more information, please watch our video:
You will receive your package digitally, usually sent via email. Should you want to receive
your package physically, we can arrange printing - however you will be charged any fees
required for the printing process.
FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE
-Date of Birth
-Place of Birth
-Mother's Name and Maiden Name
-Forename of the Child
-Informant's name, address, and relationship to the child
-Name and Occupation of Father
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
-Date and Place of Marriage
-Names and Marital Status of Bride and Groom
-Current Address and Occupation of the Bride and Groom
-Ages of the Bride and Groom (sometimes given as "of full age" or "over 21")
-Names and Occupations of the Bride and Groom's Father
-Names of Witnesses
DEATH CERTIFICATES
-Name of the Deceased and their Occupation
-Date and Place of Death
-Names, Addresses, and Relationship (if any) of the Informant
-Age at Death
-From April 1969, Date and Place of Birth, Addresses, and Maiden Name
-Cause of Death
Our initial checks during the free consultation will ensure that enough records exist to
begin your project. However, if the trail does run dry, the total cost will be reduced,
pro rata, so you'll only pay for the research that has been carried out successfully.
The one line/two line/full package expect to find up to great-great-grandparents as a
minimum. Final price will be reduced pro rata if this is not completely achieved.
However, rest assured we don't simply stop at great-great-grandparents. If the information
is available, we will research it for you.
Before starting your research, we'll ask that you provide your name, date and place of
birth. Many people already have information about their parents and grandparents. Some have
even been working on their family tree themselves and have come to us with a specific
problem. Whatever information you have, no matter how small, we want to know about it!
It'll save you time and leave us free to find out the bits you don't know!
We can conduct research in many countries throughout the world.
However, as different
countries have different record keeping systems, the success of research is varied. If we
can't carry out the research due to the lack of available records then you will be informed
and a full or pro rata refund will be provided where appropriate.
We will send you an invoice via email
with instructions on how to pay. Bank transfer is preferred, or payment can be made via
PayPal.
Once we have agreed on your requirements, 50% deposit will be invoiced.
The remaining payment is due upon completion.
In England and Wales, a formal Register of Adoption has been kept since 1927. The
Children's Act of 1975 allows an adopted person, if over 18, to apply for their original
birth certificate. No one else can do this for them. The certificate enables research to
begin on tracing the birth family. In Scotland, adoption has been legally recognised since
1930 and information is supplied to the adopted person, if over 17.
The above
information is only applicable if the birth name is unknown. If the birth name is known
then we can apply for a certificate.
In accordance with GDPR guidelines all research conducted by Karen Murphy Genealogy Research
is held in the strictest confidence.
We will never disclose information obtained to any
third party without written instruction from the client.
Please view our Terms of Use for more information.
A full ancestry can typically take around 3-4 months but of course smaller projects take
much less. As a guide allow around 2 weeks for a one line package, 4 weeks for two lines
and 3-4 months for a full package. We'll keep you informed every step of the way. But If
you need it in a hurry, don't panic, it's often possible to complete in less time,
especially if you have an unusual surname to research.
The more information we have to
go on (e.g., names, addresses, dates of birth etc., of your immediate relatives), the
easier and faster the research will be. All these details will be discussed at the initial
free consultation.
Due to the popularity of our product, we do often have a waiting list
but this too will be advised at the initial consultation.
The main sources for research are the Birth Marriage and Death indexes, Census returns and
Parish registers. There are many other sources we may use according to the individual
circumstances, such as Service records; Occupational sources and land records etc. We don't
routinely look for death records, as they don't usually help to establish earlier
generations. However, see note regarding death certificates in the question "what will I
find out?"
If you have a particular interest (such as an ancestor's military service,
or a particular cause of death) please let us know during the free consultation and we'll
do our best to find out what you want to know.
We may be able to access military service records, medal cards etc. from the First World War
and earlier - please note, however that approximately 50% of these records were destroyed
and so cannot be obtained.
The information that we would require would be:
-Full name
-Service number
and unit
If your ancestor was Army, Navy or Air Force - originally known as Fleet Air
Arm - then it may be possible to access their war record for details on where they served,
length of service etc.
If they were one of the fallen then we can access their war grave
records.
As far as the Second World War is concerned, personnel records are closed for
100 years, except to next of kin who can access them directly through the MOD. We will
gladly give you advice on how to apply.
For our popular Family Tree packages, whether you select one line, two lines or a full
package, we'll aim to discover when and where your ancestors were born; who they
married; what their occupations were; where they lived and any children as revealed by
the censuses. It's not usually necessary to obtain death certificates for the purpose
of proving one's ancestry, however if you'd like details of what your ancestors died
from we can order these. Death certificates are often thought of as a waste of money
from a research perspective and in a sense they are - they don't provide any link to any
other relatives in the same way that birth and marriage certificates do. However,
they shouldn't be dismissed, as often these are the one piece of information that
makes your relative feel more real to you than any other.
Research is flexible,
so we'll aim to provide the information that you are interested in.
Your package will contain the following items:
-Family History Report - This will tell you all about the lives
of your ancestors - where they were born, where they lived,
what they did for a living etc. (For an example, click
here
)
-Family Tree Diagram (with a background image of your
choice. For an example, click
here
)
- A standard genealogy format report listing all the relevant ancestors in a logical order -
presenting each successive generation in turn.
-A .gedcom file - This file is provided upon request, and is the default file type used in
Family Tree software. Should you wish to continue the research yourself, you can use this
file yourself to access the family tree.
For more information, please watch our video:
You will receive your package digitally, usually sent via email. Should you want to receive your package physically, we can arrange printing - however you will be charged any fees required for the printing process.
FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE
-Date of Birth
-Place of Birth
-Mother's Name and Maiden Name
-Forename of the Child
-Informant's name, address, and relationship to the child
-Name and Occupation of Father
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
-Date and Place of Marriage
-Names and Marital Status of Bride and Groom
-Current Address and Occupation of the Bride and Groom
-Ages of the Bride and Groom (sometimes given as "of full age" or "over 21")
-Names and Occupations of the Bride and Groom's Father
-Names of Witnesses
DEATH CERTIFICATES
-Name of the Deceased and their Occupation
-Date and Place of Death
-Names, Addresses, and Relationship (if any) of the Informant
-Age at Death
-From April 1969, Date and Place of Birth, Addresses, and Maiden Name
-Cause of Death
Our initial checks during the free consultation will ensure that enough records exist to
begin your project. However, if the trail does run dry, the total cost will be reduced,
pro rata, so you'll only pay for the research that has been carried out successfully.
The one line/two line/full package expect to find up to great-great-grandparents as a
minimum. Final price will be reduced pro rata if this is not completely achieved.
However, rest assured we don't simply stop at great-great-grandparents. If the information
is available, we will research it for you.
Before starting your research, we'll ask that you provide your name, date and place of
birth. Many people already have information about their parents and grandparents. Some have
even been working on their family tree themselves and have come to us with a specific
problem. Whatever information you have, no matter how small, we want to know about it!
It'll save you time and leave us free to find out the bits you don't know!
We can conduct research in many countries throughout the world.
However, as different
countries have different record keeping systems, the success of research is varied. If we
can't carry out the research due to the lack of available records then you will be informed
and a full or pro rata refund will be provided where appropriate.
We will send you an invoice via email
with instructions on how to pay. Bank transfer is preferred, or payment can be made via
PayPal.
Once we have agreed on your requirements, 50% deposit will be invoiced.
The remaining payment is due upon completion.
In England and Wales, a formal Register of Adoption has been kept since 1927. The
Children's Act of 1975 allows an adopted person, if over 18, to apply for their original
birth certificate. No one else can do this for them. The certificate enables research to
begin on tracing the birth family. In Scotland, adoption has been legally recognised since
1930 and information is supplied to the adopted person, if over 17.
The above
information is only applicable if the birth name is unknown. If the birth name is known
then we can apply for a certificate.
In accordance with GDPR guidelines all research conducted by Karen Murphy Genealogy Research
is held in the strictest confidence.
We will never disclose information obtained to any
third party without written instruction from the client.
Please view our Terms of Use for more information.
A full ancestry can typically take around 3-4 months but of course smaller projects take
much less. As a guide allow around 2 weeks for a one line package, 4 weeks for two lines
and 3-4 months for a full package. We'll keep you informed every step of the way. But If
you need it in a hurry, don't panic, it's often possible to complete in less time,
especially if you have an unusual surname to research.
The more information we have to
go on (e.g., names, addresses, dates of birth etc., of your immediate relatives), the
easier and faster the research will be. All these details will be discussed at the initial
free consultation.
Due to the popularity of our product, we do often have a waiting list
but this too will be advised at the initial consultation.
The main sources for research are the Birth Marriage and Death indexes, Census returns and
Parish registers. There are many other sources we may use according to the individual
circumstances, such as Service records; Occupational sources and land records etc. We don't
routinely look for death records, as they don't usually help to establish earlier
generations. However, see note regarding death certificates in the question "what will I
find out?"
If you have a particular interest (such as an ancestor's military service,
or a particular cause of death) please let us know during the free consultation and we'll
do our best to find out what you want to know.
We may be able to access military service records, medal cards etc. from the First World War
and earlier - please note, however that approximately 50% of these records were destroyed
and so cannot be obtained.
The information that we would require would be:
-Full name
-Service number
and unit
If your ancestor was Army, Navy or Air Force - originally known as Fleet Air
Arm - then it may be possible to access their war record for details on where they served,
length of service etc.
If they were one of the fallen then we can access their war grave
records.
As far as the Second World War is concerned, personnel records are closed for
100 years, except to next of kin who can access them directly through the MOD. We will
gladly give you advice on how to apply.