Ancestry Search Services | Notes from the archiveHonest, practical writing on tracing your family history: what things cost, where the records are, and how to get past the walls that stop most people. By genealogist Elizabeth Wilkins.https://ancestrysearchservices.co.uken-gbDNA testing: what it can and cannot tell youhttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/dna-testing-what-it-can-and-cannot-tell-youhttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/dna-testing-what-it-can-and-cannot-tell-youA DNA test will not hand you a family tree. Used properly, it does something better: it proves whether the tree you have is true. Here is what the tests really deliver.Sun, 23 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMTDNA testingGenetic genealogyFamily history researchBrick wallsElizabeth WilkinsHow much does a professional genealogist cost in the UK?https://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/how-much-does-a-professional-genealogist-cost-ukhttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/how-much-does-a-professional-genealogist-cost-ukAn honest guide to what family history research costs in the UK, how hourly billing works, and why I price my research differently.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:00:00 GMTGenealogyProfessional genealogy feesFamily history researchElizabeth WilkinsThe gift they will never expect: a family history traced and toldhttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/family-history-personalised-gifthttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/family-history-personalised-giftFor the person who has everything, their own ancestors are the one thing nobody else can give. How a traced family tree works as a gift, and when to order one.Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMTFamily history giftGenealogyPersonalised giftsElizabeth WilkinsTracing Irish ancestors after the 1922 records fire: harder, not hopelesshttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/tracing-irish-ancestors-1922-records-firehttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/tracing-irish-ancestors-1922-records-fireThe fire at Dublin's Public Record Office destroyed centuries of Irish records. Here is what was lost, what survived, and how Irish family lines can still be traced.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMTIrish genealogyPublic Record Office fire 1922GenealogyElizabeth WilkinsStuck on a genealogy brick wall? Seven methods that actually break themhttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/genealogy-brick-wall-seven-methodshttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/genealogy-brick-wall-seven-methodsEvery family tree hits a wall eventually. After seventeen years of research, these are the methods I actually use when an ancestor refuses to be found.Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:00 GMTGenealogyBrick wallsResearch methodsFamily history researchElizabeth WilkinsTracing ancestors who worked in the Lancashire cotton millshttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/tracing-ancestors-lancashire-cotton-millshttps://ancestrysearchservices.co.uk/blog/tracing-ancestors-lancashire-cotton-millsWeaver, spinner, piecer, tenter: if your family comes from Lancashire, the cotton industry is almost certainly woven into your tree. Here's how to find them.Wed, 06 May 2026 08:00:00 GMTLancashire historyCotton industryGenealogyOccupational recordsElizabeth Wilkins