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Primary sources cited throughout
Findings documented in a written narrative
Irish and East Midlands specialist knowledge
DNA evidence cross-referenced with documentary records
The investigative approach

Evidence first.
Conclusions second.

Family history research produces a great deal of noise. Shared trees, unchecked hints, digitised indexes with transcription errors, and DNA matches with no paper trail attached. Any of these can lead a researcher confidently in the wrong direction.

The methodology here is built around one discipline: every conclusion must be supported by primary source evidence. A census entry pointing to a county of birth is a starting point, not a fact. A death certificate naming a father is useful, but it is not the same as a birth record confirming that relationship directly.

"I was trained by the records, not by a course. Twenty years of working through original documents teaches you a different kind of patience." Gary Skerritt, Meet Your Past

This does not mean findings are withheld until every question is resolved. It means the difference between a proven conclusion and a working hypothesis is always clearly stated in the final report.

Four research principles

Primary sources over secondary

Wherever possible, original records are consulted rather than transcriptions, indexes, or published trees. Errors accumulate at each remove from the original document.

Independent corroboration

Key facts are verified across at least two independent sources before being treated as established. A single record can be wrong. Two independent records rarely agree in error.

Honest uncertainty

Where records have been destroyed, are unavailable, or are ambiguous, the report says so clearly. A well-documented uncertainty is more useful than a confident but unsupported claim.

Personal continuity

Gary Skerritt conducts every investigation personally, from the first consultation to the final report. There is no handoff to a junior researcher or overseas team.

The investigation process

Six phases. One investigator.

Each investigation moves through the same structured sequence, regardless of subject matter. The phases below expand to show the research methods and sources used at each stage.

Initial consultation

Scoping the investigation

Every investigation begins with a free 30-minute consultation. This is not a sales call. Its purpose is to establish what is already known, what questions the client wants answered, and whether the available evidence makes those questions researchable.

For clients in the East Midlands, this consultation can take place in the client's home. Meeting in person allows Gary to examine original documents, photographs, and family objects that the client may not have thought to mention. Physical evidence of this kind has resolved questions that documentary research alone could not.

At the end of the consultation, a clear scope of work is agreed. This covers the research objectives, the likely record sets to be searched, the time required, and the fixed-price fee. There are no hourly rates and no open-ended commitments.

Sources and methods at this stage

Client's existing documents Family photographs Family bibles and letters Known family history Existing DNA results Preliminary records assessment

Civil registration began in England and Wales in 1837 and in Ireland in 1864. For most investigations, this is the primary documentary framework. Birth, marriage, and death certificates establish facts and open further lines of inquiry. Census returns from 1841 to 1921 add household detail, occupation, birthplace, and family relationships.

Index entries are never treated as evidence. Where the research objective requires it, original certificates are ordered directly from the General Register Office or the relevant Irish civil registration authority. An index entry can confirm a search direction. The original certificate is the evidence.

Where records are held physically rather than online, archive visits are made where necessary. Research is not limited to what is available through subscription databases.

Key records at this stage

GRO birth, marriage, death certificates Census returns 1841 to 1921 Irish civil registration from 1864 Electoral registers Trade directories Newspaper archives Probate records and wills

For research extending before 1837 in England or before 1864 in Ireland, parish and ecclesiastical records become the primary source material. Church of England parish registers survive from the sixteenth century in many parishes. Nonconformist registers, Catholic records, and Quaker meeting records are also consulted where relevant to the family's known religious affiliation.

Irish parish research requires particular care. The network of surviving Catholic registers is uneven, and coverage varies considerably by diocese and time period. Gary's personal experience tracing Irish Catholic families across Connacht and Munster informs both the research strategy and the realistic expectation of what the surviving record landscape will yield.

Nottinghamshire and East Midlands parish records, including the Nottingham Archdeaconry collections, are an area of direct specialist knowledge.

Key records at this stage

Church of England parish registers Irish Catholic parish registers Church of Ireland registers Nonconformist registers Bishops' transcripts Settlement and removal orders Nottinghamshire archdeaconry records

DNA evidence is most useful when it is treated as one strand of evidence among several, rather than as a definitive answer in itself. Autosomal DNA results from AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, and Findmypast are analysed in conjunction with the match's documented trees and shared segment data.

The methodology for DNA-led investigations follows the Leeds Method and clustering techniques to group matches by ancestral line, then works backwards to identify the common ancestor using documentary evidence. A DNA match alone does not establish identity. It establishes a probability that is then tested against the paper record.

For unknown parentage and non-paternity event investigations, DNA analysis is often the primary investigative tool. In these cases, the methodology is adapted to work outward from the DNA match network where documentary records are absent or unavailable.

Key methods at this stage

Autosomal DNA analysis Match clustering (Leeds Method) Shared segment analysis AncestryDNA match trees MyHeritage DNA Findmypast DNA Cross-referencing with documentary evidence

Many investigations require research beyond the core civil and parish record framework. Military service records from The National Archives can reveal a great deal about a serviceman's physical description, education, trade, and disciplinary history, details that do not appear anywhere else. Pension and medal records add further layers.

For Irish research, the Griffith's Valuation of 1847 to 1864 and the Tithe Applotment Books of 1823 to 1837 are key land-based sources that allow families to be located geographically before civil registration began. These are particularly important for research in counties where Catholic parish registers are sparse or non-existent.

Probate records and wills are often overlooked but can be among the most revealing documents in a family history investigation. They name relationships directly, list property and possessions, and sometimes preserve family dynamics that appear nowhere else in the record.

Key records at this stage

Military service records (TNA) Griffith's Valuation 1847 to 1864 Tithe Applotment Books 1823 to 1837 Pension and medal records Probate records and wills Estate papers and rentals Occupational and guild records Prison and criminal registers

The investigation concludes with a written narrative report. This is not a family tree export, a bare chart, or a list of names and dates. It is a documented account of what was investigated, what the evidence shows, and what questions remain unresolved and why.

Every assertion in the report is supported by a cited source. The report is written in plain English, without genealogical jargon, so that it can be read and understood by any member of the family. It is a document intended to last and to be read again, not a summary to be filed away.

Where the investigation has uncovered difficult findings, such as unknown parentage, adoption, or criminal history, the results are presented with care and in advance of the written report, so that nothing arrives unexpectedly in print.

What the report includes

Written narrative account Source citations throughout Copies of key original documents Annotated family tree chart Timeline of key life events Unresolved questions documented Recommendations for further research
Areas of specialist knowledge

Where experience runs deepest

The following areas reflect not just professional familiarity but personal research history. The knowledge here was built through Gary's own family investigations before it was applied to client work.

Primary specialism

Irish Genealogy and Ancestry Research

Gary's personal family history is Irish, rooted in county Galway and extending across the west of Ireland. This is not a marketed specialism. It is the area where the deepest practical knowledge sits.

Irish research is technically demanding. The destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922 removed a large portion of the pre-1900 record base. Effective research in this field requires knowledge of the surviving alternatives and how to use them together.

  • Civil registration records from 1864 (General Register Office of Ireland)
  • Griffith's Valuation 1847 to 1864, used to locate families geographically before civil registration
  • Tithe Applotment Books 1823 to 1837 for landholding families
  • Surviving Catholic and Church of Ireland parish registers, with knowledge of coverage gaps by diocese
  • Census fragments: 1901 and 1911 Irish census returns, and surviving 1821 to 1851 fragments
  • Estate papers, tenant records, and eviction notices from the National Archives of Ireland
  • Famine-era emigration records, assisted passage, and Poor Law records
Irish ancestry research

East Midlands Records

Based in Nottingham, Gary has direct working familiarity with Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire records, including the county archive collections, local newspaper archives, and parish register holdings.

  • Nottinghamshire Archives and related county collections
  • East Midlands industrial and mining records
  • Nottingham Archdeaconry parish register collections
  • Local newspaper archives including the Nottingham Evening Post

DNA-Led Investigations

Autosomal DNA analysis for cases where documentary records are absent, ambiguous, or where unknown parentage, non-paternity events, or adoption are involved. DNA evidence is always cross-referenced against the paper record wherever documents exist.

  • Unknown parentage and non-paternity event investigations
  • Adoption research combining DNA and documentary sources
  • Leeds Method clustering and shared match analysis
  • Cross-platform analysis across AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, and Findmypast
Archives and record repositories

Where the records are found

The record sets below represent the principal sources drawn upon during investigations. This is not an exhaustive list. The specific sources consulted for any investigation depend on the family's geography, period, occupation, and religion.

England and Wales

Civil and Parish Records

  • General Register Office (GRO): births, marriages, deaths from 1837
  • The National Archives, Kew: census, military, probate, naturalisation
  • Findmypast: British and Irish newspaper and military archives
  • Ancestry: census returns, parish registers, electoral rolls
  • FamilySearch: international parish and civil records
  • British Newspaper Archive: digitised newspapers from 1700 to present
Ireland

Irish Record Repositories

  • General Register Office of Ireland: civil records from 1864
  • National Archives of Ireland: census, estate papers, land records
  • National Library of Ireland: Catholic parish registers on microfilm
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
  • IrishGenealogy.ie: civil and parish records online
  • Griffith's Valuation and Primary Valuation online databases
Military and specialist

Military and Occupational Records

  • The National Archives: service records, pension files, courts martial
  • Soldiers of Oxfordshire archive and regimental museums
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
  • Medal Index Cards and campaign medal rolls
  • Merchant Navy records (BT series, TNA)
  • Prison registers and criminal records (PCOM and HO series, TNA)
A note on Irish records

The 1922 destruction and what survives

The fire at the Public Record Office of Ireland in June 1922 destroyed the majority of Irish census records before 1901, most Church of Ireland parish registers before 1869, and significant collections of pre-twentieth century documentary material. This is a well-known obstacle in Irish genealogy, but it is not an endpoint. Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, surviving Catholic registers, estate papers, and DNA evidence can together reconstruct family lines with substantial reliability, even in the most difficult counties. Gary's personal research experience in this area is the single greatest asset an Irish ancestry investigation brings.

Irish ancestry research
What you receive

A report written to be read.

A great deal of genealogical work is delivered as a chart or a database export. The names are there, the dates are there, but the story is not. The final report from a Meet Your Past investigation is a written document, not a data file.

The report is structured in sections and written in clear English. It explains what was investigated, what the records show, and where the evidence is uncertain or incomplete. Every significant claim is followed by a source citation, so the research can be checked and extended in future if new records become available.

The report is a document intended for the whole family. It should be readable by anyone, not just those who already understand what an IGI reference or a PCOM series number means.

For investigations involving sensitive findings, a telephone or in-person conversation takes place before the written report is delivered. Nothing unexpected arrives in writing without prior discussion.

Discuss your investigation
Investigation Report — Example Structure Confidential
1. Investigation brief and agreed scope p. 1
2. Summary of findings p. 2
3. Detailed narrative account with source citations p. 3+
4. Annotated family tree chart Appendix A
5. Copies of key original documents Appendix B
6. Unresolved questions and further research recommendations Appendix C
7. Full source bibliography Appendix D
Common questions

Questions about the methodology

Practical questions about how the research is conducted.

What sources does Meet Your Past use for family history research?

Primary sources include civil registration records (births, marriages and deaths), census returns, parish registers, probate records, military service files, and DNA match networks. For Irish research, sources include Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, Catholic and Church of Ireland registers, and civil registration records from 1864. Every source used in an investigation is cited in the final report.

DNA results are cross-referenced against paper record findings and match networks across AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, and Findmypast. Gary Skerritt analyses centimorgans, segment data, and predicted relationships to build a working hypothesis, then verifies it against documentary evidence before any conclusions are presented. DNA alone does not establish identity. It establishes a probability, which is then tested against the paper record.

Many Irish records were destroyed in 1922. When direct records are unavailable, land valuation records, Church records, estate papers, and DNA evidence are used to reconstruct family lines. Clients are always told clearly what has been found, what is uncertain, and why. A well-documented uncertainty is more useful than a confident but unsupported conclusion.

Every investigation concludes with a written narrative report. This is not a bare chart or a list of names and dates. It is a documented account of what was found, what the evidence shows, and what questions remain. Source citations are included throughout. For investigations involving sensitive findings, a conversation takes place before the written report is delivered.

Yes. Every investigation is conducted by Gary Skerritt personally, from the initial consultation to the final report. There is no handoff to a junior researcher. This is not a subscription platform or an agency model. When you instruct Meet Your Past, Gary does the work.

Very little. Most investigations begin with a grandparent's name, a rough decade, and a county or region. It is not necessary to have done any prior research. The free 30-minute consultation is the right place to discuss what you know and what questions you want answered.

Begin the investigation

Ready to find out what the records hold?

The free 30-minute consultation is the starting point for every investigation. There is no obligation and no charge. It is simply a conversation about what you know, what you want to find out, and whether the evidence makes that possible.

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No obligation. No charge. Home visits available across the East Midlands.