Tips for Distance Research (the paid kind)

Given the time/cost and my unfamiliarity with the sources, I am
assuming it will be much more cost effective to find a researcher
to undertake searches at the FRC and/or National Archives.

Peter Goodey...

Can you assess any hobby in terms of cost effectiveness? It's hard to put a
price on the satisfaction and interest of doing it yourself.

What are you after at the FRC? Much of their stuff is available through
other means.

Andrew Brydon...

I agree. But coming down from the Fylde to London has specific costs
which have to be considered...

Eve McLaughlin...

You don't need to go to London to access the majority of records held at
FRC. The GRO indexes are widely available either locally in
archive/reference library/Mormon FRC locations or, on line free to
handled, later than that, from various commercial sources.
Censuses are also available on line, often with the indexes free and
images paid for. The indexes leave a lot to be desired - but if your
searches are heavily concentrated in one area, buying facsimle verysions
of the counties from S&N would be a good move.

Andrew Brydon...

I'm still working on the detailed list: will certainly include
parish records. (It's not one of my priority lines at the moment.)

Eve McLaughlin...

Parish records, when you have worked back to them, are not at FRC but
held in the archives of the counties concerned, some of which will
pprobably be closer than London. LDS Family History Centres can get you
films of parish records to be consulted reasonably close to your own
doorstep. (Cost, the postage only)

Charani...

I have a similar problem travelling up to London from the South West.
It's not jut the cost, it's also the time involved.

I found that asking the LMA themselves to undertake an hour's
searching for Ł35 was very cost effective. The fares alone are more
than that. They also did a bit more than I asked them to do as well.

If you're interested in London parishes, then that may be a viable
option for you.

Peter Goodey...

County Record Offices are the places for parish records.

For the National Archives, before you start thinking about a researcher,
consider their reprographics service. If you know what you want, they
seem to be reasonable at finding things providing it doesn't involve too
long a search.

There are some researchers' names on TNA website. If you go down that
route, you might prefer to choose an AGRA member.

Are there any key tips for commissioning research in this way?

Hugh Watkins...

look for personal recomendatiosn on a specialised list

I do research for fun

If it is work I want serious money Ł30 an hour plus expenses
(eg reading 30000 names in an uncatalogued census)

you get some who charge Ł5 an hour but you can't hire a cleaner for that

the Danish National Archives charge Ł45 an hour which makes me chaep

Hugh W