What information do you require to trace my family tree?
We can start with your birth certificate or the marriage certificate of
your parents. If you don’t have this, don’t worry, we can obtain one on your
behalf.
Many people, however, have a few old certificates or documents in their
possession or perhaps a family Bible, which will make a good starting point
for tracing your family history.
We always recommend you start with your own birth certificate, simply
because some older people only have a basic “short birth certificate”. This
does not give parents names, and we are aware of several cases where the
people concerned had no idea that the man who brought them up, was not in
fact their father.
In order to provide you with the best possible service, and make effective
use of your chosen budget, it is vital that you provide us with as much
detail as possible, about the family you want researched, however
insignificant it may appear to be. Names, dates of birth, marriage and
death, certificates, copies of entries in family Bibles, etc. In this way
you will prevent us from duplicating information that you already know and,
more importantly, wasting your money.
NB Please do not send original copies of your documents in the mail in case
they become lost or damaged. Photocopies by mail or scanned copies as email
attachments are adequate for our purpose.
How far back will my tree go?
Our Research Packages give an approximate year that we anticipate being
able to research back to, although every case we handle is unique and we cannot make promises about this.
Some families stayed in the same parish for generations and other moved
frequently often in densely populated cities. Other problems which may be
encountered are illegitimacy, a common surname, immigration, missing records
or inaccurate information. Sometimes a person may simply change their
name to avoid detection for whatever reason. We always communicate any such difficulties and
offer to transfer research to a different line or a pro-rata refund.
For pre 1837 research we rely on parish records to research families.
Although some parish registers are available online, most can only be searched
at the local county Records Offices. For Gloucestershire ancestors we can
potentially research back to the start of parish records in 1538, if they
survive. Realistically, though most families can be traced back to the
1700s, with some better documented ones, further back.
What will it cost?
Our hourly fee for research is £12.50 per hour, package deals may offer
better value for money. Our fees cover research, reporting and analysis time
and not the outcome of the effort. Copies of civil registration certificates
and copies of documents and prints from microfilm are charged at cost.
Printing and postal charges are extra.
How do I make a payment?
Payment for our services is taken online using
Google Checkout which is fast and secure.
You may pay using a credit or debit card.
Google Checkout makes no additional charges to the buyer.
Payment will be taken in GBP and your card company or bank may charge a
conversion fee.
Here is a
currency converter
for your convenience.
PixBytes do not see your bank or card details.
I was adopted can you find my parents?
In England and Wales, a formal Register of Adoption has been kept since
1927. The Children's Act of 1975 allows an adopted person, over the age of
18, to apply for their original birth certificate. No one can do this on
their behalf. The certificate would enable 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, over 17 year of age.
A GEDCOM file is plain text (usually either ANSEL or ASCII) containing
genealogical information about individuals, and meta data linking these
records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or
exporting to GEDCOM format.
What is GRO?
This is the General Register Office which holds a central copy of civil
registrations of birth, marriage and deaths for England and Wales. The
earliest available registrations date from 1 July 1837, and although
registration was a requirement, penalties for non-registration were not
introduced until 1875. Consequently, many births went un-registered.
What will a Civil Registration Certificate tell me?
Full birth certificates will include the following information:
- Name, date and place of birth.
- Father's name (if given at time of registration) and occupation.
- Mother's name, maiden surname.
- The name and address of the informant.
(Registrations made after 1969 include details of the parents' place
of birth and after 1984, mother's occupation.)
Marriage certificates include the following information:
- Date and place of marriage.
- Name, age* and marital status of the man and woman. *(sometimes only
the fact they are of 'full age' or 'minor' will be recorded)
- Occupation and usual place of residence.
- Name and occupation of each party's father.
- Names of the witnesses.
- Name of the person who solemnised the marriage.
The details on a death certificate include:
- Name, date and place of death.
- Age of deceased, or
- Date and place of birth (after 1969).
- Occupation and usual address.
- Cause of death.
- The informant's name, description and residence.