I specialise in finding people. It is my job and my expertise. Whoever you are looking for, whether it is an old army buddy, a former sweetheart or old school friends - I can find them for you. I also trace missing beneficiaries and witnesses for solicitors.
This kind of work combines the skills of the genealogist with that of the investigator, but unlike the genealogist my aim is to find living people if I can. This might involve looking at adoption papers to trace the birth family of someone who was adopted as a child. Sometimes my researches can take me way back in time to the early 19th century to look at great grandparents before I can go forward again to the present day to catch all the family I am searching for. Jobs for solicitors are usually concerned with probate and may involve looking for any relatives who could inherit the estate of someone who has died without leaving a will or where the beneficiaries cannot be found.
You have to be sensitive to other people’s feelings as it routinely involves dealing with delicate and private matters where any clumsiness could cause a great deal of distress. It is my usual practice to act as a go-between in initial contacts, especially where a prickly or hostile response is to be expected. On many occasions, the client is attempting to make contact again many years after a family feud has severed all ties.
It is most rewarding work and it is pleasant to help people with a reunion. Life is short and we all have the right to try to find the people that matter to us before it is too late. It is enjoyable doing this kind of family research and it can be quite thrilling when the person you are looking for is found.
The work is painstaking rather than particularly hard. It is all too easy to be swept away in the excitement and start tracking down the wrong person or family. The important thing is to check and recheck all information and look for corroborative evidence at every stage.
The first task is to look at all the information you have. It is always a good idea to write down everything and to ask for any family stories about the person they are looking for. These little snippets of information can seem of dubious value, but they can also provide the clues necessary to solve the mystery.
Much time is spent in archives and in libraries. I am lucky to be based near the Family Records Centre in London where it is easy to look up and order birth, marriage and death certificates for the people I am researching. Much use is made of old electoral registers at the London Metropolitan Archives and at the British Library. Old telephone directories can be studied at the BT Archives and nearby at the Probate Registry you can look up and order wills.
Some investigation is carried out on the Internet and using databases on CD Rom. It is amazing what can be learned with the use of a PC and a search engine like Google.
Sooner or later it is time to use those old-fashioned investigative skills on the telephone or by writing carefully scripted letters to possible relatives. Here is where it is an advantage to employ a researcher to find people, because it is all too easy to frighten them off when you get in touch. They need to be approached gently and given time to get used to the idea of this new contact. They may need to talk with their family and decide whether or not to go any further. Remember, their family may not even know of your existence and you don’t want your sudden arrival to be a nasty shock to them.
For a while it can be useful for the investigator to act as a go-between offering their address for both parties to use until they decide it is ok to take it further. If a meeting is planned it is wise to make it at a neutral location somewhere between their homes. Much like going on a first date, it is best to be careful and not expect too much too soon.
It should be remembered that any search and reunion is bound to be stressful. It is always a good idea to wait until things are reasonably stable in your life before embarking on this kind of journey and it is helpful to have a close friend, relative or a caring partner who can offer support to you over the times of misery and joy that such a search can bring.
Whenever you feel ready to find out what happened to the people missing from your life, I suggest that you shop around a bit before deciding on a researcher to help you. Check that they are a member of a trade organisation like the Association of British Investigators (ABI) or the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA). That way you can be sure that they are working to a code of practice. Try also to find out what the job is going to cost you and then agree a budget for them to work to. There is nothing wrong with being business like. That way you can be sure that you can afford their services and there will be no unpleasantness.
Feel free to drop me a line if I can be of any help in your search. I hope that your reunion is a happy one.
Giles Higgitt Blood-Ties Tracing Service http://www.blood-ties.com Email: info(at)blood-ties.com
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