Case Histories

How ATS war records solved a case

Posted in Case Histories, For Family Historians, For Relatives

Sometimes the details on birth, marriage and death certificates present genealogists with a baffling puzzle of varying dates and changing names. In cases like these, it’s important to remember that a few missing pieces of information hidden in a different data set may be all it takes to get your investigation back on track. Here, Sam Watkin reports on a case that could not have been solved without the information held in military service records.

Inheritances that open doors

Posted in Case Histories, For Relatives

Two years ago, when Susan Cook received a phone call about a possible inheritance, she signed an agreement with Anglia Research and then promptly forgot about it as day-to-day worries took over. In this article, Eileen Butcher reports on a life-changing case.

When patience and persistence pay off

Posted in Case Histories, For Family Historians, For Relatives

In this article, case manager Carolyn Felgate extends the definition of ‘patience’ and ‘persistence’ as she reports on her ten-year struggle to chip away at an impregnable genealogical brick wall – the case of Mary Margaret Baker.

Between two families

Posted in Case Histories, For Family Historians, For Relatives

In this article, case manager Sam Watkin discusses an informal adoption arranged before the Adoption of Children Act 1926. When relevant public records are almost entirely absent, how can probate genealogists prove someone’s identity?

How genealogy and oral history can help vulnerable clients

Posted in Case Histories, For Solicitors

Over the past two years, Anglia Research has developed an innovative service with the Money Carer Foundation (MCF), finding long-lost relatives for their clients and developing resources to provide them and their carers with opportunities for understanding and reminiscence. It’s a natural extension of our work locating heirs and can make substantial improvements to a client’s quality of life, bringing families back together and helping people whose memories are failing to retain a sense of their identity and history.