Are you a non-genealogist, thinking about hiring a genealogist to learn more about your family tree? If so, this post is for you.
Sure, you can hire a reasearcher to just have at your family tree! But, for many people, it’s more satisfying, and more financially feasible, to work with a genealogist to answer specific genealogy questions. This post suggests three things you should do before reaching out to hire.
First: Narrow Your Focus
I often hear people say, “I’d like to learn more about my family.” That’s a good reason to hire a genealogist but it’s a pretty broad, open-ended statement. Two parents. Four grandparents. Eight great-grandparents. Sixteen great-great-grandparents. Thirty-two great-great-great grandparents. If a genealogist spent one hour of time researching to learn a little bit about each one that would be sixty-two hours and that would just be the beginning. Multiply that by $35/hour, a good ballpark average for what genealogists charge, and the initial cost would come out to a little over $2000. If you have the means to engage the services of a researcher to compile a multi-line, multi-generational tree, cool. The investment would likely prove to be a good one.
But, many of us are on a budget so it’s important to narrow down the research goals and/or break large projects into smaller pieces before reaching out to hire. It’s also, quite frankly, a good way to test the waters before diving into a large-scale project.
Here’s a simple way to decide what to work on first:
Spend some time jotting down responses to the question “What would I like to know about my family?” My list looks something like the one shown in the header photo.
Then, review that list and choose one thing to be the focus of your research project. You can always go back and work on the other things later.
Second: Write Down What You Know
Now, take a new piece of paper and write down what you know about the research subject you’ve chosen and also write down how you know it. I’ve included an example in the header image. If any of the information is drawn from a document, write down where it was found and make sure a copy of it is handy.
If you haven’t done any genealogy research on your own, this list may be short. If you have, in addition to listing sources that have relevant information, also list sources that you’ve checked that didn’t. This is a good way to make sure the genealogist won’t unknowingly provide you with records and information you already have.
And, of course, you can also do this exercise using a word processor or even working from an online family tree, if you’ve started to create one.
Third: Make Sure Family Sources Haven’t Been Overlooked
Finally, do your best to make sure you haven’t overlooked privately-held family sources. For example, is it possible a relative might have a family bible? Vital records? A diary? Copies of deeds? First-hand information? If so, consider making a call or writing a letter to see what else you can find on your own.
Reach Out to Hire a Genealogist
Once you’ve completed the steps above, you’re ready to contact a genealogist. Choose someone you’d be comfortable working with–someone who has the right expertise for your project–then reach out to hire. Share your research goal and include the summary of documents and information you already have.
The genealogist will review the material, ask questions, if needed, and suggest a plan for moving forward with the research.
There are never any guarantees that research will uncover the answers you’re seeking–sometimes there just isn’t any information to be found–but there’s a good chance it might.
Warmly,
Cyndy
Genlighten Co-founder