KITH & KIN
RESEARCH

Researchers often come up against documents, such as wills or property deeds, where the archaic handwriting or legal text proves too difficult or time-consuming to decipher. Unfortunately, in cases like these it's all too easy to miss vital clues which might have otherwise aided your research. Our document transcription service supports researchers in this regard by providing clear transcripts of difficult records.

Although it's useful to visit the places where your ancestors lived as a means of bringing your research to life, sometimes distance can pose a problem. We carry out location photography across Dorset and South Somerset and can provide high resolution images of ancestral homes, churches, gravestones or other locations of your choice. Images can be emailed to you or uploaded to a CD and sent to you in the post.

Precious documents are often handed down through the family in a precarious state of conservation and sometimes the very things people do to try to remedy the situation inadvertently ends up causing more harm than good. We offer a basic consultation and advice service to help you take better care of your personal archives and ensure that these treasured possessions continue to survive for future generations. 

Knowing the history of your business or organisation can be a valuable asset when trying to build up your brand and engage with the wider community around you. We work closely with business owners to help them explore their professional heritage; the information we uncover enables them to better publicise their services by enhancing the content of their promotional materials, website and in-house displays. 

We offer professional support to executors and solicitors by helping to identify and trace missing beneficiaries to unclaimed estates and providing them with the documentary evidence required to administer claims, such as birth, marriage and death certificates. This service is especially useful if you are an overseas company requiring assistance to locate possible living relatives/next of kin in the United Kingdom.

Whether you live in a medieval manor, an Edwardian terrace or a 1930s semi, every building has a story to tell and it can be fascinating to learn about those who lived there before you. Using records such as census returns, electoral registers and ordnance survey maps, we can help you to discover more about the past owners and tenants of your property and explore how the building fits into its wider historical context.