How does putting together a Family Folio work?

Our Family Folios are produced after specialist research into the ancestry of your family. You purchase a ten hour block of research time and we present what we have discovered and corroborated in the Family Folio.

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How far back can you trace my ancestors?

We aim to get back to 1841. (Sometimes if we cannot find the dates and names we need this is more difficult) In England and Wales most families can be traced back to this date within the timeframe specified in our product. It may be possible to trace the family back to 1700’s and sometimes to the start of parish registers in 1538 and beyond. Extra research hours can be purchased for research further back than 1841.

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Can I choose which ancestors will be included in the profiles for my Family Folio?

Whilst we will do our best to prioritise the family members you are interested in, it is not always possible to include them in the profiles. Sometimes there isn’t enough information. Our profiles are usually selected by the amount of corroborated information we discover.

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How many ancestors does your Family Folio include?

When you purchase a Family Folio you are buying ten hours of research time. We will use this time to research one line either the maternal or paternal line of your family. One line of research means that Discovering Heritage will follow one surname, generation by generation: i.e. Father- his Father- his Father- his Father etc. or Mother- her Father- his Father- his Father etc. For one line you will receive the following

An outline family tree showing direct ancestry back to 1841
A research report
Detailed biographies of two family members
Images of documents discovered in the course of our research.

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If I find fresh information can you include it in your research?

We will always look at fresh information, however, we may need extra time to research a new line of enquiry and we will charge this out at our hourly research rate.

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I have information a family member has given me about my great grandparents. If I submit this to you can you include it in the Family Folio?

We can include anything you wish although the information will need to be verified. We will charge any extra hours of research at our hourly research rate. We will always consult you before extra charges apply.

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How do you verify information on Family Members?

We look for documented evidence usually in the census then we check this against birth marriage and death records. Often there are people with the same name and it is difficult to tell which is the relevant person. In cases like this we need to send away for original documents and carry out deeper research. There is a small charge applied to copy documents so we will always contact you before ordering these. They can take a week or two to come through.

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Can you guarantee to name my ancestors, and find a person of particular interest?

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a positive results. No researcher can! We will make every effort to achieve the best possible results, by utilising all resources available to us. However, sometimes a genealogical record simply has not survived the passage of time, and it is therefore not possible to trace an individual or family line as far back as expected.

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What do you mean by the Paternal or Maternal line?

The paternal line of a family follows the fathers direct ancestors, grandfather, great grandfather, great great grandfather and so on. Your direct paternal lineage is the line that follows your father’s ancestry. Similarly for the maternal line; mother, her father, his father etc.

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How Long Does it take to complete a Family Folio?

It usually takes between two to three months to complete a Family Folio. However, is certain cases, for example, where the family lines are complex, it may take longer. This is because we need to be very careful with our checks to make sure the information we provide is absolutely correct. Progress can fluctuate depending upon what records have survived, how often surname occurs and the mobility of the family.

How much does it cost?

The price of our Family Folios vary based on how much detail you would like us to research. Prices begin at £250. Our research services are £20 per hour. It is possible to add research hours once the commission has started. For example if we have reached the end of the research time bought and you feel there is something of interest that would add to your story we will suggest purchasing further hours so we can give you the best service and results possible. We will always contact you before we begin a fresh line of research. See our Terms and Conditions here.

 Do you include Brothers and Sisters in the research?

Our aim is to trace the family tree back through time as far as possible. We do not locate every sibling along the way. Where this is of specific importance research can be tailored to that end but this will redirect funds from the backwards research and may invalidate our free assessment pledge, or incur extra charges.

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