A RESEARCH REPORT containing every record that has been transcribed, with its relevant source number noted should you require to order a copy of the original at any stage in the future. Observations will be made along the way where appropriate, and an explanation of how any problems were addressed and overcome will be provided so that you can follow the exact research process as it happened.
Copies of an ANCESTRAL TREE from the primary individual and DESCENDANCY TREES from every one of the most distant ancestors found. These will be provided in both a book format, displayed over several pages, and as a single tree PDF file. The birth, marriage and death records will be displayed for each individual, and occupations where known.
An AHNENTAFEL REPORT explaining how your family progresses back one generation at a time, fully notated.
A KINSHIP REPORT outlining how the primary individual is related to everyone else in the tree.
COPIES of any records asked for.
Additonally, a GEDCOM file of your family tree will be e-mailed to you, as well as a PDF file showing the whole tree on one page. A GEDCOM file is a universal data format that will allow you to import and display the tree for yourself on most genealogical software packages such as Family Tree Maker 2006.
For more detailed research, the report will be tailored to fit the job in hand, and regular e-mails will keep you appraised of progress.
For an example of a typical report, please visit the website of Paton's Butchers shop in Largs, Ayrshire, by clicking on the image below. The site has a family history section, and includes a family history report and chart of the family of Mr Paton (no relation!), in PDF format, as researched by SGS in December 2008.
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.
