Ben wrote:I'm thinking of becoming a 'professional' genealogist. I've spent a decade researching my family tree and I'm wanting to turn it into something more now. I'm just not sure what the right way to go about it that won't take another decade to 'get my name on the map'.
I've read from a few people who've done it as jobs, some for over twenty years. Does anyone know of anybody who's done it for a job, or employed one before? Or does anybody want to be my first client?
You’d have fun with my family. Spread over 5 continents, records lost in the war, names changed at Ellis Island, people killed in the war.... my Grandfather disappeared in 1940. After all these years of searching by many members of my family, I found out two months ago that he was murdered by the Germans in the Ukraine in 1942.
About 3-4 years ago I came across a photo of my mother’s grandparents taken in 1900 that even she didn’t know existed.
And I’ve just discovered my grandmother’s brothers family in Russia. I haven’t yet found how to make contact.
I’ve found and met many people from my dad’s side, one of whom lives a couple of miles from me. Both of us were born in Africa and neither knew the other was here, so close to each other for over 50 years. I’ve discovered my paternal grandmother’s grave at the local cemetery. It’s weird because last I knew, she lived in East Africa back in the 60s.
25 years ago I discovered I had 2 half sisters living in Portland. I met them 6 years ago for the first time.
I’ve got loads of stories of family I’ve found over the last few years, and there’s still a long way to go.
If you’d been doing this research, it would have cost me thousands and taken you a lot longer to do.
A friend of mine has spent years tracing his family, and they were all in England.
Good luck if you go for it, but I reckon you’ll face a lot of challenges, not least of all people won’t be able to afford it.