Family-history investigations
Give us a person, mystery, photograph, rumour or unanswered question. We investigate the surviving records and tell you what can genuinely be discovered.
Most first investigations are £395–£495. Scope and fixed price agreed before we begin.
“We always wondered what became of him.”
01 A name in a family Bible
02 Someone missing from the story
03 A photograph nobody can place
04 A rumour worth testing
The question comes first. The family tree grows from the evidence.
01 / The proposition
Known Again provides professional family-history research carried out for you. You do not have to learn a database, search unfamiliar archives or decide which record to trust.
We agree the question, follow the evidence and turn what we find into a clear account you can understand, keep and share.
02 / How it works
A person, place, approximate date, photograph or half-remembered story can be enough. We help shape it into a useful research question.
We search appropriate historical records, compare sources and pursue the leads most likely to answer your question. You receive a meaningful update while work is under way.
Your findings arrive as a carefully made report: the story, the sources, a family tree where relevant, and an honest account of anything that remains unresolved.
The research method
Good family-history research does not flatten uncertainty. It shows how each conclusion was reached.
We begin with the family account, establish the known facts, then ask which surviving records could confirm, challenge or narrow the possible answer.
Turn a person, rumour, photograph or half-remembered event into a focused research question.
Choose records for the people, place and period rather than relying on one database or suggested match.
Compare names, ages, addresses, relationships and chronology, including evidence that might disprove a tempting conclusion.
State what is documented, what is strongly indicated, what remains unresolved and which record could help next.
Documented
Strongly indicated
Unresolved
The exact records and research route depend on the question.
Read how the method works
Private family-history research report
Designed to be read now and kept for the family.
03 / What you receive
The research is only half the work. We present it so the people, evidence and unanswered questions make sense together.
04 / Our approach
Historical records can disagree, names change and some answers do not survive. Credible research makes those boundaries visible.
DocumentedStated directly in surviving evidence.
Strongly indicatedThe evidence points in one direction, but a confirming record is still missing.
UnresolvedA family account or promising lead that cannot yet be presented as fact.
Privacy Personal information is handled discreetly and used only for the agreed research.
Honesty We never turn a possibility into a discovery merely to make a better story.
05 / Two ways to begin
For yourself or your family
Perhaps someone disappeared from the record, a parent never spoke about their early life, or a photograph has outlived every explanation. Bring us the question you keep returning to.
Explore investigationsAs a gift
For a significant birthday, retirement or anniversary, commission a professional investigation on behalf of the family. We can gather starting information discreetly and plan the presentation with you.
Explore gift commissionsTypical first investigation£395–£495
Every question is different. We review the starting information, explain what looks realistic, then agree a fixed scope and price before any research begins. Broader projects are quoted separately.
Tell us the question06 / Before you ask
No. A name, an approximate date or place, a photograph, a certificate or a family story may be enough to assess what research is possible. We will tell you if a little more is needed before quoting.
No responsible researcher can. We assess the question first, explain the likely sources and are candid about risk. Even where the central question remains unresolved, the investigation may establish important context and identify the best next record to pursue.
Not quite. A family tree may form part of the result, but the investigation is led by your question. The aim is to understand the people, places and evidence around it, not simply to add the greatest possible number of names.
You can begin with the information already available to you. We agree how discreet the research needs to be, what can realistically be completed, and how the finished findings should be presented to the recipient.
Begin here
Tell us where yours begins. We will review it personally and come back with an honest view of the most useful next step.
We review your question
We clarify anything essential
We propose a scope and fixed price
