Family history investigation
in Leicester
Personal, expert research into your Leicester and Leicestershire roots.
Gary Skerritt is a professional family history investigator with more than 20 years of experience tracing British and Irish ancestry. He works personally on every case, searching the archives that matter rather than running automated searches against the same online databases you can access yourself.
No obligation. Bring whatever you have, even just a name.
Professional genealogy research for
Leicester and Leicestershire families
Leicestershire has a rich and layered history. Its records reach back to the Domesday Book and forward through centuries of parish registers, nonconformist chapel records, Victorian census returns, and the industrial archives of the hosiery and framework knitting trades that shaped so much of the county's working life.
Many families in Leicester have histories that cross more than one country. Significant Irish migration into the city during the nineteenth century, together with communities with connections to South Asia and the wider Commonwealth, means that Leicestershire family research often reaches well beyond British archives. Gary Skerritt brings personal knowledge of Irish genealogical records as well as detailed experience across UK archives to cases where the trail crosses borders.
Every case is handled personally. There are no researchers working behind Gary's name, no automated database searches dressed up as expert research. If you instruct Meet Your Past, Gary does the work.
Learn more about GaryA county with
rich genealogical depth
Leicestershire's history is woven through its archives. From the medieval wool trade to the framework knitting industry that dominated the county for two centuries, the records tell stories of families that are rarely visible in the standard online databases.
Parish records from the twelfth century
Leicestershire's Anglican parish registers contain some of the most complete records in the East Midlands, with baptism, marriage, and burial entries stretching back in many parishes to the sixteenth century and in some cases earlier. Many of the most valuable volumes remain off-line and require direct archive access.
Framework knitting and hosiery trade records
The framework knitting industry employed a very large proportion of Leicestershire's population for over two centuries. Trade and union records, occupational directories, factory inspectorate reports, and parish surveys of framework knitters provide detail about working lives that census records alone cannot capture.
Nonconformist chapel communities
Leicestershire had particularly strong nonconformist traditions. Baptist, Methodist, and other chapel registers held at the record office document families who rarely appear in Anglican records. These archives are essential to tracing many Leicester families and are frequently overlooked by researchers working only from standard online databases.
Irish immigration into Leicester
The Irish Famine and subsequent emigration brought large numbers of families to Leicester from the 1840s onward. Tracing these families requires knowledge of both the Leicester end of the story and the Irish records that pre-date the migration. Gary brings direct personal expertise in Irish genealogy to every case where this dimension is present.
DNA investigation for complex Leicester cases
Where documentary evidence runs out, DNA analysis can open new investigative pathways. Gary conducts DNA-based family history investigations for cases involving unknown parentage, disputed family relationships, or brick wall ancestors where conventional archive research has reached its limit.
Military ancestors from Leicestershire
The Leicestershire Regiment served through both World Wars and numerous colonial campaigns. Service records, medal cards, regimental histories, and war diaries are among the primary sources for tracing Leicestershire men who served. Gary handles military research as part of the broader family history investigation service.
The records that matter
for Leicestershire research
Much of the most valuable material for Leicester and Leicestershire research is held in physical archives and is not available through standard subscription databases. Knowing where to look, and what to ask for, makes a significant difference to what an investigation can uncover.
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Record Office
The central repository for the county, holding parish registers, nonconformist records, estate papers, Quarter Sessions records, enclosure awards, and the archives of Leicestershire's major industries. A substantial proportion of the most useful material here has never been digitised.
Leicester Central Library Local Studies Collection
Trade directories, local newspapers, electoral registers, street directories, and photographic collections covering Leicester from the eighteenth century. Particularly useful for placing families in specific streets and neighbourhoods and for tracing occupational histories.
GRO records from 1837
Birth, marriage, and death certificates form the backbone of all modern genealogical research. Gary works with original GRO certificates rather than relying on index entries alone, and orders physical certificates where the detail on the certificate itself is required to progress the investigation.
1841 to 1921 census returns
Ten-year census snapshots of Leicester and Leicestershire households, capturing names, ages, relationships, occupations, and birthplaces. Reading census entries critically, and understanding the limitations and errors they contain, is a key investigative skill that separates professional research from database searches.
Framework knitting and hosiery records
Leicestershire's hosiery and framework knitting industries generated a large body of documentary evidence about the families who worked within them. Frame rental records, union membership rolls, factory inspector reports, and trade directories can substantially extend what is known about an ancestor's working life and social circumstances.
Irish genealogical archives
For Leicester families with Irish origins, the research requires knowledge of a distinct set of sources: Griffith's Valuation, the Tithe Applotment Books, Roman Catholic parish registers, Civil Registration records from 1864, and the Registrar General's indexes. Gary has personal Irish heritage and detailed familiarity with these archives.
How Meet Your Past can help
Every investigation is different. The service is built around your specific case, not a standard package applied identically to every client.
Family History Investigation
A thorough, fully done-for-you investigation into your family's origins. Gary researches your family line personally, working across original documents, archives, and databases to construct a detailed and accurate account of who your ancestors were and how they lived.
From £199
Learn moreIrish Ancestry Research
Gary has personal Irish heritage and has spent years working with Irish genealogical records. For Leicester families with Irish roots, this is not a generic add-on but a specialist investigation conducted by someone with deep first-hand knowledge of both the records and the history.
From £249
Learn moreDNA Investigation
Where documentary research has exhausted its possibilities, DNA analysis opens new avenues. Gary interprets DNA matches against the genealogical record to identify relatives, confirm family relationships, and break through brick walls that archive research alone cannot resolve.
From £299
Learn moreUnknown Parent Investigation
For those seeking information about a biological parent they have never known, or where family circumstances mean that conventional records are incomplete. These investigations are handled with complete discretion and care throughout.
From £299
Learn moreMilitary Ancestor Research
Tracing a Leicestershire ancestor who served in the armed forces requires access to service records, medal rolls, regimental histories, pension documents, and war diaries. Gary draws on the relevant national and regimental archives to build as complete a picture as the surviving records allow.
From £199
Learn moreFamily History Gift
A family history investigation makes a meaningful and lasting gift for a birthday, anniversary, or significant occasion. Gift versions of all standard packages are available, presented as a gift certificate with a personal note from Gary explaining what the research will cover.
From £199
Learn more
Leicester Chronicle or Commercial and Leicestershire Mercury, Saturday 18 December 1880, Page 1
An investigator, not
a database search service
Gary Skerritt founded Meet Your Past after more than two decades spent tracing his own family's history and helping others to trace theirs. The investigation that defined his approach was the search for his ancestor William Goddard, transported to Australia in 1842. That case required years of original archive work across English and Australian records, and the result was a detailed account of a life that had been effectively invisible until Gary uncovered it.
That same investigative commitment is brought to every case Meet Your Past takes on. Gary does not run automated searches and present the output as professional research. He reads documents, cross-references sources, identifies inconsistencies, and pursues the question until the evidence runs out or the answer is found.
For Leicester and Leicestershire clients, Gary is available for home visits across the county. Many investigations begin more productively in a client's home, where family documents, photographs, letters, and objects can be examined together at the outset. This is a practical and personal service, and Gary takes it seriously.
Read more about GaryFrom first call to final report
There are no hourly rates and no uncertainty about cost. Every investigation begins with a free conversation, and all work is quoted and agreed before research starts.
Free consultation
A 30-minute call to discuss what you already have, what you would like to find, and whether professional research is the right step. No preparation needed.
Fixed-price quote
A clear proposal setting out what the research will cover and exactly what it will cost. No hourly billing, no surprises, and no work begins until you are happy to proceed.
Investigation
Gary conducts the research personally, across archives, databases, and original documents. For Leicestershire clients, this can include a home visit to review family documents and photographs at the outset.
Written report
A full written narrative of what was found, with copies of all key documents discovered during the investigation. Delivered digitally, with a printed version available on request.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cover Leicester and Leicestershire?
Yes. Meet Your Past is based in Nottingham and serves clients across Leicester and the whole of Leicestershire, including Loughborough, Hinckley, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough, Coalville, and Wigston. Home visits are available throughout the county. Research is conducted remotely across the UK and Ireland.
What Leicestershire records do you use?
The core sources for Leicestershire research are the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Record Office, the Leicester Central Library local studies collection, GRO civil registration records, Anglican parish registers, the 1841 to 1921 censuses, nonconformist chapel records, and framework knitting and hosiery trade records. Much of the most valuable material is not available online.
Can you trace Leicester families with Irish roots?
Yes. Large numbers of Irish families settled in Leicester during the nineteenth century. Gary has personal Irish heritage and detailed knowledge of Irish genealogical records including Griffith's Valuation, the Tithe Applotment Books, Catholic parish registers, and DNA-based investigation. Irish research is handled with the same depth as English research.
Do you visit clients at home in Leicester?
Yes. Home visits are available across Leicester and Leicestershire. Many clients prefer a home visit at the start of the process so that family documents, photographs, and memorabilia can be reviewed together. It often reveals starting points that would never emerge from an online consultation alone.
How much does family history research cost?
Fixed-price packages start from £199 for a single-surname investigation. All work is quoted in advance and there are no hourly rates or unexpected costs. You will know exactly what the research covers and what the price is before any work begins.
What if I only have a little information to start with?
That is perfectly normal. Many investigations begin with very little. A grandparent's name, a place that was mentioned once, an old photograph. The free call is the right place to discuss what you have and what the research might realistically achieve from that starting point.
Tell me where you are,
and we will go from there.
Most investigations begin with almost nothing. A grandparent's name. A date that does not add up. A story that was never quite explained. That has always been enough to start.
Book a free 30-minute call and we will talk about what might be possible. No preparation needed. No obligation. Just a conversation about your Leicestershire family and what it might take to find their story.