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As a chemistry graduate who preferred libraries to laboratories, my first career was as a science librarian, mainly in universities. The skills I developed in tracking down elusive information stood me in good stead when I started researching my family history in the 1990s, and I found that I was able to overcome several brick walls that had defeated others. I subsequently decided to train as a professional genealogist, and was awarded an IHGS Diploma in Genealogy in 2008. I was admitted as a Member of AGRA in 2009.

After over a decade of carrying out research for clients, both in the UK and overseas, I no longer carry out paid research, but have turned my attention to researching aspects of the history of the records used in genealogical research that have received little previous attention. I was awarded an IHGS Licentiateship in Heraldry and Genealogy in 2019 for my dissertation on extended parish registers. 

I am the author of three books: "Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors: A Guide to Research Methods for Family Historians" (2017), which is aimed at readers who already have some experience of researching before 1837; "Tracing Your Georgian Ancestors 1714-1837: A Guide for Family Historians" (2018), which describes the sources and the relevant historical context and is suitable for beginners and experienced researchers alike; and "A History of Parish Registers in England and Wales: From the Restoration to Civil Registration" (2026), which synthesises what is currently known about the history of parish registers during this period into a coherent narrative.

Taunton
Somerset