Recently, someone asked us, “who is Born and Bred’s service for?” And, the short answer, is “everyone” and especially those history-curious – anyone wanting to learn more about their family history, grow their family tree or maybe find out the history of their home, building or business premises.
Over two weeks we’re going to tell you a little bit more about two of our most recent clients who capture many of our enquiries.
WHO, WHAT AND WHY?
Let’s begin with a client we will call “Jane” who had always wanted to do her family tree and history and learn more about her ancestors. Growing up she’d heard stories about an elusive grandfather who was said to been involved in some questionable dealings with some equally questionable associates. There was also a family legend that placed a great great grandmother in some exotic location. But, Jane, like many of us had other commitments and was running short on time, which had stopped her from being able to explore these family myths and legends further. Essentially, Jane wanted to learn more about herself and her heritage.
There’s a bit of history-curiosity in all of us.
Jane thought that now she was retired, it was the perfect opportunity to really get her claws stuck into her family history. She had been dabbling in her family tree research on and off for a number of years, but things would become overwhelming and confusing, so she would take a break and inevitably try to come back later. Not only was it a bit mystifying trying to nut it out, life was also busy and finding the time was sometimes impossible.
So, Jane would come back and forth from beginning the research on her own, with the records she had on-hand and what she could find online, but she found the work time-consuming, messy and fairly overwhelming. The research she was doing wasn’t providing the answers she was looking for and was becoming costly with the current need to pay for subscription-based services (after their “free”/”suck you in” period). Although Jane was finding some records, she wasn’t sure if they were the right records for the right people. She was also not sure how to use them or interpret them.
Jane was worried that after all of this she would get something wrong and mix-up her family tree. She believed it was her duty to complete this research to give the younger, future generations in her family. Jane wanted to leave a sense of legacy, a sense of meaning in the world, and proof of her family heritage. Put simply, she wanted to tell her story of “us”.
Jane decided she needed help, and this was how she came to us. Like many of our clients, Jane had the bare bones of her research and family tree, as well as family stories and oral history that had been passed down the generations.
THAT’S GREAT, BUT HOW DO YOU START?
Like Jane, many people come to us overwhelmed, a little anxious and sometimes embarrassed by what they have, or maybe haven’t done in their own family history research and family tree. We’re here to make you feel comfortable with any and all of your questions no matter where you are on your historical discovery journey. Trust us when we say, there are no stupid questions, nothing too far-fetched and nothing we can’t work with (no matter how little).
“I really don’t know anything”, is such a common declaration from so many of our clients. But you would be surprised at what you do know, and that is where we can begin. We ask that you provide as much information as you have and anything you believe could be helpful. Even if you don’t believe what you know is very much, or it’s hearsay, a family rumour or that it has in no way been verified. You would be surprised the elements of truth that are woven into family myths and legends. With this information, it gives us a foundation to begin with. And we all have to begin somewhere.
That’s where we started with Jane. She sent through what she already knew – the bare(ly) there branches of her family tree she had been able to populate, and a few records she had located along the way. Jane also knew a few names and dates of ancestors, the odd occupation, and a possible connection to a Scotland and somewhere else “exotic”.
Similar to Jane, we have wonderful clients come to us all the time who really know next to nothing. We mean, maybe a name or two – not even confident they are correct – a rough year of birth, and maybe the town, region or state they may have lived in. Guess what? Even with so little, we’ve been able to dig deep, analyse, verify and research a full family tree. Yep, some of the names might have been a little off, some of the dates may not have been precise, but A) we are thorough (REALLY thorough) and know our stuff; and B) we ain’t no quitters. We are absolutely determined!
AND EXACTLY HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
With this type of information, we were ready to begin. Although Jane had provided some information, there wasn’t much. But hey! Something is always better than nothing. We’ve worked with less. So, like all research, we need to begin from what we know and not necessarily from the beginning. Because, like Jane, what if you don’t know anything about the beginning? Well, then you’re really stuck.
This is something that we hope you and your family will cherish for years and years to come. Jane, like all of our clients, understood that we could not and would not rush research. Good and thorough research takes time (throwing a pandemic in doesn’t help much either). When we research, we dig deep, we check, verify, analyse, and then double-check again that we have it correct. If there’s something we cannot be absolutely sure of, it won’t be going on your tree. Quite often we need to substantiate information with the help of primary sources and original archival records. Not everything is on the internet…unfortunately.
Yes, but how long? Hoooow longggg? Well, how long is a piece of string? Put it this way, you wouldn’t want your mechanic to do a hurried and haphazard job just to get it in and out quicker, would you? The same goes for historical research. It may take a week, or a few. It may take a month, or a few. We’re always in touch and we let you know how we are progressing; any obstacles we may be trying to overcome or brick walls we are trying to smash.
SO, WHO ARE BORN & BRED? ARE WE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?
We are a bespoke and personalised historical research service who absolutely specialise in building family trees and digging deep into your ancestors and history.
We offer an in-depth, tailored and personalised historical research service. We are meticulous and take painstaking care when tasked with the very special job of discovering more about your family and heritage.
We are here to help the history-curious people and families discover the truth about their past, and in turn help them to understand their place in the world. With this research we can help to create a sense of purpose in the present and share that knowledge with future generations.
We are qualified, experienced, always learning, and passionate experts. However, one misconception many people make about us is that history (and in turn, us) can be boring. We have one thing to say to that – HELL NO! We are fun, determined and endlessly curious. And we hope that we can bring that to your family hi-STORY.
Jane and her family were happy – very happy – with what we uncovered for them. We were able to verify some of those family rumours, quash a few and delight them with ancestors and stories that they never knew about.
It is a real privilege to be able to venture into family histories, ancestors and moments in history that connect us all. With this research and with your trust in us it can take you to new places you may never have dreamed and be a reward you never knew was possible.
So, are we a good fit for you? Well, let us ask you, are you looking for a complete end-to-end service, a meticulous and personalised service? Then, yes! We could be just the perfect fit to help find your people.
There’s only one way to find out. Get in touch with us for a chat and an obligation-free quote. There’s no time like the present to being your family history journey.
Get in touch for a chat and obligation-free quote. You won’t regret it.