Karen Murphy Genealogy
FAQs
RESEARCH
We're confident we are the cheapest!!!
Family tree and genealogy research can prove complex, time consuming, and expensive. We also realise you may have some questions like, where do I go for certificates or census inormation?
Even more confusing can be parish records or passenger lists and military records. I mean, what happens if you find your ancestors emigrated to Canada?
We've put together a list of frequently asked questions, just click on the forward/back arrows above the panel on the right, to see them.
If the answer isn't there - just click the button above right (called "I have a question...") to contact us and we'll get back to you and answer whatever questions you have.
If you are interested about what information you get from birth, marriage and death certificates - click below to get a bit more information - it's in the right hand pane of our 'small print page'.
What will BMD cerificates tell me?
OK, How do I check your FAQs?
If you scroll down to the box directly below this one it contains our most common FAQs. Click on the arrows like these and look through until you find your answer. If you don't find the answer to your question - don't worry, just click below to contact us and send your questions.
I have a question....
Click these arrows....
...to view questions!
What will I find out?
For our popular Family Tree packages, whether you select one line, two lines or a full package, we'll aim to discover when and where your ancestors were born; who they married; what their occupations were; where they lived and any children as revealed by the censuses. It's not usually necessary to obtain death certificates for the purpose of proving one's ancestry, however if you'd like details of what your ancestors died from we can order these. Death certificates are often thought of as a waste of money from a research perspective and in a sense they are - they don't provide any link to any other relatives in the same way that birth and marriage certificates do. However they shouldn't be dismissed, as often these are the one piece of information that makes your relative feel more real to you than any other.
Finally, research is flexible, so we'll aim to provide the information that you are interested in.
What if you can't find my ancestors?
Our inital checks during the free consultation will ensure that enough records exist to begin your project. However if the trail does run dry, the total cost will be reduced, pro-rata, so you'll only pay for the research that has been carried out successfully.
The one line/two line/full package expect to find up to great great grandparents as a minimum. Final price will be reduced pro-rata if this is not completely achieved.
However, rest assured we don't simply stop at great great grandparents. If the information is available, we will research it for you.
What information is needed from me?
Before starting your research, we'll ask that you provide your name, date and place of birth. Many people already have information about their parents and grandparents. Some have even been working on their family tree themselves and have come to us with a specific problem. Whatever information you have, no matter how small, we want to know about it! It'll save you time and leave us free to find out the bits you don't know!
Do you conduct worldwide research?
We can conduct research in many countries throughout the world.
However, as different countries have different record keeping systems, the success of research is varied. If we can't carry out the research due to the lack of available records then you will be informed and a full or pro-rata refund will be provided where appropriate.
What about adoption?
In England and Wales, a formal Register of Adoption has been kept since 1927. The Children's Act of 1975 allows an adopted person, if over 18, to apply for their original birth certificate. No one else can do this for them. The certificate enables 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, if over 17.
The above information is only applicable if the birth name is unknown. If the birth name is known then we can apply for a certificate.
How long will the research take?
A full ancestry can typically take around 3-4 months but of course smaller projects take much less. As a guide allow around 2 weeks for a one line package, 4 weeks for two lines and 3-4 months for a full package. We'll keep you informed every step of the way. But If you need it in a hurry, don't panic, it's often possible to complete in less time, especially if you have an unusual surname to research.
We have completed projects for last minute gifts in a few days before. The more information we have to go on (e.g., names, addresses, dates of birth etc., of your immediate relatives), the easier and faster the research will be. All these details will be discussed at the initial free consultation.
How do I pay?
By cheques made payable to Karen Murphy. We can also accept credit and debit card payments through PayPal.
We will send you an invoice via email with instructions on how to pay. You do not need to be registered with PayPal to use this facility. If you are outside of the UK then we would recommend payment online as a standard conversion charge is applied to all cheques.
Please see packages and prices for more information. Once we have agreed on your requirements, 50% deposit will be invoiced. The remaining payment is due upon completion.
How do I order?
Just contact us though the 'contact us page' and we'll look at what you need.
How confidential is the information?
In accordance with the UK Data Protection Act all research conducted by Karen Murphy Genealogy Research is held in the strictest confidence.
We will never disclose information obtained to any third party without written instruction from the client. If you want any more information on this, check out our small print section.
How do you conduct your research?
The main sources for research are the Birth Marriage and Death indexes, Census returns and Parish registers. There are many other sources we may use according to the individual circumstances, such as Service records; Occupational sources and land records etc. We don't routinely look for death records, as they don't usually help to establish earlier generations. However see note regarding death certificates in the question " what will I find out?"
If you have a particular interest (such as an ancestor's military service, or a particular cause of death) please let us know during the free consultation and we'll do our best to find out what you want to know.
What will I get at the end of your research?
If you look at our packages page, you will see what we provide for you following completion of your project.
You can also see how this is presented by going to our example research page - just click the buttons above for either page.
Can you search military records?
We can access military service records, medal cards etc. from the First World War and earlier. The information that we would require would be:
·Full name
·Service number and unit
If your ancestor was Army, Navy or Air Force - originally known as Fleet Air Arm - then we can access their war record for details on where they served, length of service etc. If they were one of the fallen then we can access their war grave records.
As far as the Second World War is concerned, personnel records are closed for 100 years, except to next of kin who can access them directly through the MOD. We will glady give you advice on how to apply.
Can you find out if my ancestors emigrated?
Many people find that their relatives either emigrated from, or to the United Kingdom whilst researching their family history. We have access to all passenger lists for incoming and outgoing vessels between the years of 1890 and 1960 and can uncover a variety of information including:
·Their name, year of birth and occupation (in some cases not all this information was entered)
·Accompanying relatives (if applicable)
·Shipping line, e.g. Cunard, White Star etc
·Captain
·Vessel name
·Ports of call
We also have access to the crew lists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Do you research all over the British Isles?
Most British Isles research including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man is relatively straightforward.
But Irish ancestry can be difficult to trace. For the many Irish families who came to England/Wales the census often only recorded their birth place as Ireland. And it's quite difficult to trace Patrick Murphy of Ireland! I know I've tried!
We're not saying we can't help, but we may need to do Irish research through our Ad Hoc package.
