Research Services

If you have a family history problem, Gene Tracers aim to help you to solve it. Whether you need an in-depth genealogy research package, or a few hours' specialist research we can help. Since the cost of research varies depending upon your requirements, and changing outside costs, please contact us to obtain an accurate estimate of likely costs.

Gene Tracer Packages

Our specific packages have been designed to provide a cost-effective, yet complete, service to trace your family history from scratch. We offer a variety of choices dependent upon your situation and budget, from our basic Pewter package which traces one side of your family tree from the present day back to approximately 1837 when civil registration began, to our comprehensive Gold Plus package which will trace both sides of your family tree back as far as possible through parish registers and other records. Cost will be dependent upon your package choice.

Research may involve many hours of work online to detect your ancestors. It may also include additional hours spent in quiet rooms with heavy, often dusty, tomes or original documents if your package requires it, and research times can vary greatly depending upon the records searched. Each piece of research is carefully documented to record a thorough research path from beginning to end, which forms the basis of our detailed report which records all searches , their outcomes , and the conclusions that can be reached from the evidence found. Included within the report will be a family tree (or two if you are tracing two lines), and various other appendices to help you understand the records, and a timeline to show how your family fitted in to the history of the time.

Included in the package costs will be the purchase of certificates and wills/administrations, where specifically listed and where they exist, for the main link persons in each generation; certificates at £12.50*; wills at £1.50*. In this instance, the ‘main link person’ for each generation means the person that links the generations together, e.g.:

• 1st gen. - the person requiring research;
• 2nd gen. - their mother (if the maternal line is being traced) or their father (if the paternal line is being traced).
• 3rd gen. - their maternal/paternal grandmother (if the grandmother’s line is being traced) or their maternal/paternal grandfather (if the grandfather’s line I being traced).
• etc.

*Fees correct as of August 2024. 

n.b. Hours quoted indicate an estimate of the time to be spent on your research, in many cases this will be significantly more, although the cost to you will remain the same.

Some family names are more difficult to research than others, and may be better suited to ad-hoc research, as detailed below. If this is the case, we will speak with you.

In the event that it will not prove viable to research your family, a full refund will be given where this has been recognised before research has begun. In cases where it has not been possible to predict this before research has started, however, the amount refunded will reflect the cost of hours already spent

Ad-hoc, or Specialist research

Ad-hoc research may be more suited if your surname is more popular, whether throughout the whole country or in the area to be searched, or if your research requirements are specialist in nature.

The former may require a technique called Family Reconstitution to eliminate candidates with the same names, and this will take longer. The latter may include searching for specific records, or in specific repositories, which Gene Tracers are happy to do on your behalf.

Gene Tracers is ideally located in Reading, Berkshire, to research in the Royal Berkshire Archives, formerly the Berkshire Record Office, the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), the University of Reading Special Collections and also many London repositories many of which hold important records for the whole country. We are happy to undertake any research in these locations, and areas, on your behalf.

Gene Tracers may be able to research in other locations at your request – please see Home page for details 

As per the packages above, research is fully documented and a detailed report is provided at the end with details appropriate to your project.

n.b. Research in London respositories will be charged at a minimum of 2 hours work.

Charges

All ad-hoc work will be charged at our hourly rate plus expenses* where applicable.

Project and Payment Procedure

Our procedure when taking on work is as follows:

1. When first receiving your enquiry, a free preliminary analysis is undertaken to identify any logistical problems it may pose, and to plan the research.
2. We we will then email or write to you with an estimate for the work, and our Terms & Conditions.
3. If you choose to accept this estimate, a 50% deposit invoice will be forwarded to you. This will be payable before work begins to ensure that initial research costs can be covered.
4. Once the deposit has been received, a date to begin your research will be agreed.
5. Research will begin.
6. Once the research is finished, your individual and detailed, fully-referenced report will be produced.
7. At this point, your final invoice will be emailed to you and the balance will be payable before the report is dispatched to you.

For very large projects, it may be necessary to invoice you on a monthly basis throughout the research process, but this will be determined on an individual basis.

Payment types accepted

Payment may be made by BACs, cheque or using credit/debit cards online through Paypal. Details will be provided as required. Payment terms are 28 days. 

International payments may be made through International Bank Transfer (bank fees payable by you), or by Paypal.

n.b. All Paypal transactions incur a 6% charge to cover Paypal fees.