GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

Want to know more about your family history but don't know where to start? Reached a dead end with your own research? If you are looking for information on your Canadian, American or British ancestry, I can help.

The first step is to put together all the information you already have. The more you can give me, the more I can help. Ask your family members, check through any documents you may have at home, and find out as as many details as you can. Birth, marriage and death dates (even approximate), maiden names, places where people were born or lived, names of siblings and their spouses - all of these can give vital clues that will help me to trace your ancestry. If you don't have enough information for me to make a start, I will give you some ideas where you can look yourself.

Once you have gathered your information, print out this Genealogy Research Request Form (you will need Acrobat Reader, free from Adobe), complete it as fully as you can, and mail it to:

Jennifer Smith
P.O. Box 23074
Milton, ON L9T 5B4

Or just email the information to me at runesmith@ica.net (sending this information puts you under no financial obligation - it is merely an inquiry).

Upon receiving your inquiry, I will spend up to half an hour at no charge going through what you have, determine what records are available, work out a research plan, and give you an estimate of what the costs might be. One option is to purchase a block of time (minimum three hours at $20.00 per hour) and decide later if you would like me to continue.

Throughout the research process, I will keep in touch with you, let you know what progress is being made, and consult with you about choices to be made about the direction of the research. Upon completion of the work you will receive:

• a professionally generated genealogy report
• photocopies and transcripts and/or abstracts of any pertinent documents
• full citation of all sources
• suggestions of where to look next

For examples of some of the research I have done for myself and for the Truax family, please check my genealogy homepage and the Association of Philippe du Trieux Descendants website.