He joined Anglia Research in 2009 in search of a new challenge.

 

Apart from the qualities required for research, I think it’s important for a case manager to be approachable, open and straightforward,” he says. “I hope any potential beneficiaries I work with will feel able to contact me at any time.

I can’t pinpoint one area of genealogy that interests me more than others. I genuinely enjoy the whole lot. However, I like the challenge of starting a new case with very little information – you can never predict in advance the depth of research that each case will require.

Sometimes there are just a few pieces to put together to build the picture, however other times it can be 10,000 pieces from several different boxes

Speaking with a wide variety of characters on a daily basis also makes me smile.

 

“I once researched a family that included the father of Anthony Joshua – needless to say I made sure it was all correct.”

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She has a talent for untangling complicated tax issues, very old estates and family trees that extend around the globe – and she’s the go-to expert on complex cases. She holds a STEP Certificate in Trusts and Estates and is an accredited Dementia Friend.

 

I enjoy the flexibility of the work I do, the fact that you never know where a case is going to lead and being in a position to spark an interest in genealogy with potential beneficiaries. It definitely appeals to my sense of adventure!

 

“I haven’t completed my own family tree: I think it’s the case of the proverbial plumber that has leaks in their own home.”

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Her interest in genealogy dates back to when she was very young, listening to family stories from her nan. She has a BA (Hons) in history, as well as a post-graduate diploma in genealogical studies from the University of Strathclyde. Her knowledge of historical records, combined with her analytical and research skills, and her commitment to customer service, make her a great addition to our Southport team.

 

I love my job with Anglia Research. It puts my degree and my post grad diploma to such good use. I find it fascinating tracking individual lives against the backdrop of nineteenth and twentieth century history – and reuniting long lost family members is extremely rewarding.

I tell people that my job is absolutely fascinating and that I’m so lucky to have a job I love, which is half the battle.

 

Sam is a Dementia Friend and has also undertaken Essential Mental Health Toolkit training.

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The most interesting aspect of my work is listening to people’s stories. Sometimes they can beat a Dickens novel with their twists and turns and coincidences. They’re fascinating and, because so many of them involve people losing touch with one another, they’re often also very moving. However, because of the nature of my job, I’m not just a passive listener, I’m engaged in the story, filling in all the details through research and tying up the loose ends.

I love puzzles, learning new things and hearing about peoples lives. I’m a firm believer that knowing and understanding the past helps to heal it.

 

Beyond the UK, her genealogical specialities are the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. She has a number of local researchers with distinct knowledge in her team.

“Not much makes me happier than digging around in archives or libraries and finding things out. There are no ordinary lives.”

Lisa is a Dementia Friend and is trained in First Aid at work.

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Cloe has a passion for people and thrives on building strong relationships to achieve positive outcomes for both beneficiaries and clients.  She constantly strives for positive change and this approach perfectly suits her role working with Local Authorities and continuing the development of Anglia Research’s ESGP

I have always had a keen interest in the legal sector – it’s been great to move into a career that allows me to combine my love of legal and business knowledge with my strong moral compass.

Putting myself in other peoples’ shoes to understand their motivations and needs is something I love, which is key when working through cases, speaking to beneficiaries and working with clients.

I find people and the relationships between them fascinating.

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In 2019, she left genealogy to start a career in teaching, gaining her PGCE working as an English teacher until 2023. Olivia’s love of genealogical research brought her back to the profession in early 2023.

Olivia’s passion is finding interesting records and seeing the information listed on the census records. Her love of family research stems from the time she spent with her Grandma, whom she witnessed researching both sides of her family tree. Olivia found out that much of her own family stayed in Suffolk for more than ten generations, which was compelling and very interesting to learn as a young genealogist.

 

There are always so many interesting stories in every family, and I love finding those out and helping families get answers to questions they didn’t even know they had!

One of my beneficiaries on a case was Earl Grey, I still talk to people about that.

 

Olivia is a Dementia Friend.

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He is a skilled researcher who primarily deals with cases in Scotland and private client research.

 

There are two main aspects to my job. The first is meeting the problem-solving challenge of putting together an accurate family tree as fast as possible from just a name and date of death. The process at this point does not show anything but the facts of the bloodlines.

It is only when you contact the relatives that you are able to change the ‘facts’ into real personalities with the stories they tell. It’s at this point that the second aspect of a case manager’s work kicks in. It’s very much a gear change, because it’s imperative to take time to deal openly and sensitively with potential beneficiaries.

It’s a very unique job which offers a daily challenge, something that makes it very rewarding.

 

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It’s like being a detective. I love hunting for clues, solving mysteries and uncovering secrets. People’s origins can be so complex, unpredictable and sometimes shrouded in mystery.

Like any good detective I gather evidence from the records and from family members and finally come up with a story I can share with our clients. I have over the years put long lost family members back in touch with each other through estates I’ve worked on.

There have been several instances that serve as reminders that this job is about people and we can play a part in benefitting our clients way beyond the financial aspect of the estates that we are handling.

Sometimes this means more than any material gain.

 

Paul was featured in a short documentary produced by Your Southport, as a key part of the King’s plate story. He played a key role in tracing the origin of an ornamental plate belonging to the King, that was donated to The Atkinson in Southport.

You can watch the video here.

Paul also enjoys reading (about history) and walking (to historic places). He also spends his spare time photographing and transcribing gravestones. He then publishes this online for other family historians to use in their research.

Paul is also a Dementia Friend.

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“I would say that my previous role attuned me to working quickly and accurately in a very competitive environment,” he says. “But then again, a city trading background may not have great PR value these days!”

 

I like talking to beneficiaries and listening to their family stories, particularly people who have migrated overseas – they often enjoy hearing a British accent and talking about their past.

I enjoy making connections and using small pieces of evidence to build family trees. Liaising with our extensive network of specialist research agents around the globe is fascinating.

 

Alex is an Dementia Friend.

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After 20 years he remains one of our longest-serving case managers. His head for problem-solving and analysis makes him ideally suited to the role.

 

I would say I am a cross between a private detective and a historian.

I enjoy the mental challenge of the more difficult cases – the cases that require visits to local register offices, data sets that we wouldn’t normally use and a bit of thinking outside the box.

 

“DNA testing has also been really useful in my family for reuniting us with members who were given up at birth and unknown to us. One such case, where my DNA matched a lady called Phyllis, a 1st cousin of my mother, helped her to find out who her biological family were, just a year or so before she died.

This was then included on the BBC’s Family Finders show a few years ago and was the subject of a successful book published a few years back by her daughter. That was a really good experience. Now, a decade on, her daughter is an integral part of the clan, so it’s also a gift that keeps on giving.”

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