Basic family tree research - using many private records in Scotland not available online.

Overcoming brick walls - including the use of Scottish church records not available online (Roman Catholic and non-established churches), DNA testing, etc.

Recent Investigations

 

Our service has been responsible for making some extraordinary discoveries on behalf of many of our clients, including the following:

 

 An American based client was shocked to discover that two of her cousins had been brutally murdered in 1911 by their father, for which he was subsequently hanged. A full account of this investigation was published in the Scotsman (see Stolen Lives) in June 2007, which revealed how the University of Edinburgh still held the boys remains following their illegal acquisition by pathologist Sir Sidney Smith in 1913. Following the story's broadcast on the BBC's Reporting Scotland (see Plea for Return of Stolen Remains) the university responded magnificently, arranging for their release, cremation and requiem mass in May 2009 on behalf of the client.

 

 A Largs based client was amazed to find out for the first time that her grandmother had been awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1919 for her help in sending parcels to military and civilian prisoners of war in Germany, during the First World War.

 

During research for BBC Radio Scotland's "Digging Up Your Roots" series, we made an emotional discovery for one of the programme's contributors, when he learned of the existence of an aunt that he had never heard of. The Poor Law records for Glasgow showed that she had spent her whole life institutionalised, and had sadly passed away in the 1940s.

 

An Egyptian based client was found to be found to have roots in the 15th Century pre-Reformation Cupar Abbey, with ancestors from both the distinguished Playfair and Rogers families.

 

An English based client had a mystery solved when we were able to prove that her grandfather was not her real grandfather, but in fact the brother of the supposed ancestor in question. We were able to build up a picture of the circumstances that led to the informal adoption, which included the story of her grandfather's death in the First World War and her real grandmother's disability, forcing her son to be adopted by the extended family.

 

A current life peer was discovered to have strong connections to several merchant families in 19th century Glasgow, though a bankruptcy by one of these firms would set his family on a course that would see him eventually reach the House of Lords.

 

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For our regularly updated Scottish genealogy news blog please visit

Scottish Genealogy News and Events

 

"an excellent genealogical blog"

Simon Fowler, Ancestors magazine editor

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