Normally I refuse to talk about Christmas until at least 1st December, but if you are looking for unique Christmas gift ideas that need to be ordered in good time, then a genealogy gift would certainly be an unusual and personal one, and you need to order soon.
But what exactly does a genealogy gift entail? The most obvious of course is to have a partner’s or friend’s family tree researched by a professional genealogist. However, there is really no such thing as a complete family history; genealogy is a never-ending subject – but a researched family history can still make a great gift if you set boundaries for exactly what is researched.
For instance, you could ask for just one line to be researched as far back as possible within a set budget. Or you could ask for the Victorian history of the person’s ancestors. Another idea would be to have one particularly ancestor researched with a written biography.
Research takes time, and you have to remember that a busy genealogist will probably have several other projects with deadlines on at the same time. However, if you’re looking for a last minute research gift, then my vouchers may be what your’re looking for. For more details go to THIS PAGE. I am also offering a Christmas discount of 20% for all new research clients ordering before 31st December 2011.
For an extra fee, most genealogists would probably be happy to present their research for you in a bound folder, with census records, certificates and other documents all nicely presented along with family tree charts.
For this kind of present, you would probably need to spend a minimum of around £200, but you could spend up to about £500.
And what kind of person would love this gift? Well, obviously you need to find out whether they’ve already researched their tree before commissioning the research! And you also need to know that they have an interest. Do they never miss an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Have you heard them say, ‘Oh, I’d love to do my family history, but I’d never find the time’. Do they stare dreamily at that old photograph of a grandparent and wonder where they came from? Or perhaps you’ve had your own tree researched and they were quite envious?
If your budget doesn’t extend to hours of research, then perhaps another genealogy gift would be welcome. The books listed on the right could be useful for anyone considering or already researching their own family tree. There are also plenty of suitable gifts for the confirmed genealogy enthusiast at the website My History, including software, books, blank charts, storage and maps. You could either buy a one-off gift for someone you know who loves genealogy – or you could combine the kind of research gift I’ve described above with one of their binders or perhaps a map to go with the research.
Whatever you choose, there are many ways of giving a great genealogy gift to someone, whether they have never done any research, or whether they are a keen amateur or seasoned professional. Personally, I think its one of the most lovely, personal and unique Christmas gift ideas you could ever choose!
To discuss a family tree research order, please email me at info@tracingancestors-uk.com.
Hi could you tell me the price of a family tree on my fathers side only please and if I were to go ahead could this be done by Xmas?
Hi Hayley
Unfortunately, I am not currently taking on any new clients until well into the New Year, due to a work overload. However, I doubt you would be able to get a good, detailed family tree researched by anyone in time for Christmas. Of course, it depends on how far you wish to go – if it’s only a few generations, then you might find someone to do this within a few weeks – but if you wanted a more detailed tree, it would be very tight, and I believe most good genealogists are in the same position I am at present! I suggest you go to the Association of Genealogists website and look under their members page (http://www.agra.org.uk/). Good luck!