FAQs
We understand that you might have some questions you'd like to ask us. We've therefore compiled the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our research and photography services for you. You can of course contact us if you have any other questions at all. We would be delighted to hear from you!
Research services
How confident can I be in the results of the research? Thistle Ancestry adheres to the principles of the Genealogy Proof Standard (a universally recognised 5-step standard for professional family history researchers) to ensure that information found and reported on is always accurate. This involves us: 1) conducting thorough searches for original historic records and information 2) collecting complete citations for each of the sources used in the research 3) analysing the data collected and evaluating the quality of the evidence 4) resolving conflicts in data through evaluation of the resources and the validity of those sources until there is no question and 5) arriving at conclusions that are best supported by the evidence.
Can I view sample reports? Yes you can. We are pleased to offer you access to our example reports. Our sample reports are real life examples of research exercises carried out for satisfied customers. Of course, all families are different so please bear in mind that content will vary and your completed report will be unique to your own family. You can view our example single family line search report and our example dual family line search report. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® to open our PDF files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer, you can download it free here.
How far back will you be able to trace my family, within the time allocated? Every family is unique, and although we are normally able to trace a family tree back to at least the 1700s, it has to be appreciated that tracing some, more elusive ancestors, takes longer that others who are much easier to track down. This means that we cannot guarantee to trace every family as far back in time as is possible, but that is ultimately what we always aim to do within the time available to us. What we can promise, however, is that we will use our research time as efficiently as we can to provide as full a picture of your ancestral family as is possible within the allocated research time. If, at any time during the research, we find that there is no further prospect of success in obtaining new details, we will provide you with the option to accept a refund on the available balance or allow us to begin research on another family line.
How will the research results be presented? If you live within the UK, your research results will be presented in both hard copy and PDF format. This gives you the flexibility to copy, print, store and share your research results with your family and friends as you wish. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® to open our PDF files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer, you can download it free here.
What is a GEDCOM file? GEDCOM, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication, is a specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software. The current version of the specification is GEDCOM 5.5. A GEDCOM file is essentially a plain text file containing genealogical information about individuals in a family tree, and metadata linking these records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or exporting to GEDCOM format. This means that our customers can use the GEDCOM file we provide to upload details of their family tree to a huge range of genealogy software packages, many of which are free to access online.
How do I order a search? To commission a search simply purchase a package online from our 'Packages & costs' page using PayPal, or contact us with your particular requirements and we will get back to you with an application form, available payment options and details of the information we require in order to get started with the work.
Can I purchase a research package as a gift for someone else? Yes you can. A detailed family history record makes an ideal gift for Christmas, a special birthday, a christening or an anniversary. We make every effort to meet a given deadline when this is feasible. When this is not possible, we provide a personalised gift card to let the special person know that the gift is on its way.
What payment options are available to me? Payment can be made by cheque to 'Laura Hughes trading as Thistle Ancestry', by electronic bank transfer or by credit/debit card via PayPal. Payment via PayPal can be made online from our 'Packages & costs' page, or we can invoice you by email if you would prefer. If you choose not to pay by PayPal, full details about our alternative payment options can be provided to you upon request.
I've just purchased a package online via PayPal - what happens next? Thank you for your purchase. We will be in touch with you to confirm your order within 24 hours. We will need to gather further information from you, about your family to be researched, and if you have any questions at all for us, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
What information will you need from me in order to get started? We will need to know what research package you would like to commission, how you would like to pay for your order and information about your family or the family to be investigated. The more key details you can provide us with, such as the dates of births, deaths and marriages for the family members you know of, the better our chances are of finding other Scottish ancestors quickly and efficiently. If you commission us to trace your Scottish roots we will provide you with a simple and easy to fill out form to record all the key details of the family members that you already know of. This is so that we don’t spend the time you’ve paid for researching family members that are already known to you!
I don't know very much about the family I want you to research - does that matter? To begin the research into a Scottish family tree, we will at least need you to provide the name of a relative and an approximate year/ and or place of their birth, marriage or death in Scotland. Don't worry if you do not know a great deal about your family history already, as we are skilled at working from limited starting information.
What will the end product of my research package be? Upon completion of any investigation, you will receive from us a professionally presented folder containing: an attractive, detailed and plain English report explaining all of the research results; copies of the original records and documents we've discovered throughout the research process; a chart clearly illustrating your family tree; suggestions for further research; and a CD containing digital versions of all of the above with a GEDCOM 5.5 file containing all of the genealogy information found.
What happens if you are unable to find any results? How successful we are in tracing your Scottish roots is determined by a number of factors. These include the survival of records, how common your surname was, your family's mobility, their social status and level of literacy and the possibility of transcription errors. Rarely though, have we found it impossible to trace a family’s history and find fascinating results. However, if it becomes clear at the start of the project that very little or no results will be returned, we will end the search and only charge you for the work completed to that point.
How long will it take for you to complete the work? As a general guide, it takes us about two weeks to complete an introductory search, up to four weeks for a single family line search and up to eight weeks for a dual family line search. Obviously the length of time it takes us to complete special research commissions varies greatly depending on the nature and scope of the work involved. On most occasions, we deliver ahead of our anticipated schedule, although sometimes our work can be delayed because of factors outwith our control. We’ll keep you regularly informed about the progress of your research.
Will it be possible to continue investigations after receiving your results? Of course! We provide you with suggestions for further research so that you can proceed with your own investigations if you wish to do so. We also keep your records on file within our offices so that we can re-open your case and trace your Scottish roots further back in time, or in more detail along another family line, if you wish to re-commission us to do so for you.
Can I view sample reports? Yes you can. We are pleased to offer you access to our example reports. Our sample reports are real life examples of research exercises carried out for satisfied customers. Of course, all families are different so please bear in mind that content will vary and your completed report will be unique to your own family. You can view our example single family line search report and our example dual family line search report. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® to open our PDF files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer, you can download it free here.
How far back will you be able to trace my family, within the time allocated? Every family is unique, and although we are normally able to trace a family tree back to at least the 1700s, it has to be appreciated that tracing some, more elusive ancestors, takes longer that others who are much easier to track down. This means that we cannot guarantee to trace every family as far back in time as is possible, but that is ultimately what we always aim to do within the time available to us. What we can promise, however, is that we will use our research time as efficiently as we can to provide as full a picture of your ancestral family as is possible within the allocated research time. If, at any time during the research, we find that there is no further prospect of success in obtaining new details, we will provide you with the option to accept a refund on the available balance or allow us to begin research on another family line.
How will the research results be presented? If you live within the UK, your research results will be presented in both hard copy and PDF format. This gives you the flexibility to copy, print, store and share your research results with your family and friends as you wish. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® to open our PDF files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer, you can download it free here.
What is a GEDCOM file? GEDCOM, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication, is a specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software. The current version of the specification is GEDCOM 5.5. A GEDCOM file is essentially a plain text file containing genealogical information about individuals in a family tree, and metadata linking these records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or exporting to GEDCOM format. This means that our customers can use the GEDCOM file we provide to upload details of their family tree to a huge range of genealogy software packages, many of which are free to access online.
How do I order a search? To commission a search simply purchase a package online from our 'Packages & costs' page using PayPal, or contact us with your particular requirements and we will get back to you with an application form, available payment options and details of the information we require in order to get started with the work.
Can I purchase a research package as a gift for someone else? Yes you can. A detailed family history record makes an ideal gift for Christmas, a special birthday, a christening or an anniversary. We make every effort to meet a given deadline when this is feasible. When this is not possible, we provide a personalised gift card to let the special person know that the gift is on its way.
What payment options are available to me? Payment can be made by cheque to 'Laura Hughes trading as Thistle Ancestry', by electronic bank transfer or by credit/debit card via PayPal. Payment via PayPal can be made online from our 'Packages & costs' page, or we can invoice you by email if you would prefer. If you choose not to pay by PayPal, full details about our alternative payment options can be provided to you upon request.
I've just purchased a package online via PayPal - what happens next? Thank you for your purchase. We will be in touch with you to confirm your order within 24 hours. We will need to gather further information from you, about your family to be researched, and if you have any questions at all for us, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
What information will you need from me in order to get started? We will need to know what research package you would like to commission, how you would like to pay for your order and information about your family or the family to be investigated. The more key details you can provide us with, such as the dates of births, deaths and marriages for the family members you know of, the better our chances are of finding other Scottish ancestors quickly and efficiently. If you commission us to trace your Scottish roots we will provide you with a simple and easy to fill out form to record all the key details of the family members that you already know of. This is so that we don’t spend the time you’ve paid for researching family members that are already known to you!
I don't know very much about the family I want you to research - does that matter? To begin the research into a Scottish family tree, we will at least need you to provide the name of a relative and an approximate year/ and or place of their birth, marriage or death in Scotland. Don't worry if you do not know a great deal about your family history already, as we are skilled at working from limited starting information.
What will the end product of my research package be? Upon completion of any investigation, you will receive from us a professionally presented folder containing: an attractive, detailed and plain English report explaining all of the research results; copies of the original records and documents we've discovered throughout the research process; a chart clearly illustrating your family tree; suggestions for further research; and a CD containing digital versions of all of the above with a GEDCOM 5.5 file containing all of the genealogy information found.
What happens if you are unable to find any results? How successful we are in tracing your Scottish roots is determined by a number of factors. These include the survival of records, how common your surname was, your family's mobility, their social status and level of literacy and the possibility of transcription errors. Rarely though, have we found it impossible to trace a family’s history and find fascinating results. However, if it becomes clear at the start of the project that very little or no results will be returned, we will end the search and only charge you for the work completed to that point.
How long will it take for you to complete the work? As a general guide, it takes us about two weeks to complete an introductory search, up to four weeks for a single family line search and up to eight weeks for a dual family line search. Obviously the length of time it takes us to complete special research commissions varies greatly depending on the nature and scope of the work involved. On most occasions, we deliver ahead of our anticipated schedule, although sometimes our work can be delayed because of factors outwith our control. We’ll keep you regularly informed about the progress of your research.
Will it be possible to continue investigations after receiving your results? Of course! We provide you with suggestions for further research so that you can proceed with your own investigations if you wish to do so. We also keep your records on file within our offices so that we can re-open your case and trace your Scottish roots further back in time, or in more detail along another family line, if you wish to re-commission us to do so for you.
Photography services
Do I need to order a research package to commission your additional photography services? No you don't. Our personalised photography services are available to everyone, including people who have traced their family tree themselves or even commissioned others to undertake the research on their behalf. We do find, however, that customers who order a research package from us get a lot of value from commissioning us to visit the places we have been able to identify as significant to their family history.
How do I commission photography services? To commission a visit simply contact us with your particular requirements and we will get back to you with a non-obligation quote for the work. If you are happy with our fee, we will make arrangements to undertake the site visit as soon as we can. Normally results are returned within two week - weather permitting!
What payment options are available to me? Payment can be made by cheque to 'Laura Hughes trading as Thistle Ancestry', by electronic bank transfer or by credit/debit card via PayPal. Further details about all available payment options will be detailed to you when you commission a visit.