Personal Touch Genealogy


   Janis E Davies - Associate Member of the UK Society of Genealogists


"Who am I, who were my ancestors and where are my roots?" 

 Research Offered

  • Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum Packages
  • Hourly Research
  • Palaeography (Transcription) of old documents
  • Assistance

Five Research Packages

1.   Copper - paternal & maternal research on 3 generations

2.  Bronze - paternal & maternal research on 4 generations

3.  Silver - paternal & maternal research on 5 generations

4.  Gold - paternal & maternal  research on 6 generations

5.  Platinum - paternal & maternal research on 7 generations 

Hourly Research Service

I offer an hourly research service carried out to my Clients instructions at a cost of £15.00 per hour.  (Minimum charge £30.00).  This may be especially beneficial if you have hit a "brick wall" and in need of experienced assistance to get through it, or perhaps you have a question or two you wish me to research. 

Palaeography Service

I have also studied Palaeography - the transcription of old handwriting (1500 to 1800) and provide a transcription service for old style handwriting such as that shown in the below document, at a cost of £15.00 per hour (Minimum charge £30.00).

Harry Platt 1893 - 1965 - aged 5

My Maternal Grandfather

 Christening of Francis Moore on 04 February 1678 in Elford, Shropshire - my 8th Great Granduncle.

Thomas Moore; the father & my 9th Great Grandfather (paternal) was the Rector of the Church.

He indicated his son's Christening by drawing a hand with the index finger pointing to the

Parish Church Christening entry of his son Francis Moore.


(To enlarge the document please "click" on it)

 A Synopsis on the History of Keeping Church Records


Church records are the main source for genealogy research prior to 1837 when civil registration began, and are also a very useful source after 1837 working in conjunction with civil registration.


In 1538; due to the efforts of Thomas Cromwell (1485 - 1540) an order was issued by Henry VIII to keep Parish Registers. The order commanded all Rectors, Parsons, Vicars and Curates to register every wedding, christening and burial in his Parish.


Every Parish had to provide a coffer (chest) with two locks; the Rector or Parson had custody of one key, and the Church Wardens or Town Magistrate (if said town had one) the other.  Entries were to be made each Sunday after service, in the presence of a Warden(s) or Magistrate.  Some Parish entries were made on loose paper sheets, and many of those sheets were lost or destroyed over time.


In 1558; Queen Elizabeth passed a duplicate law of her father's - Henry VIII, and many more registers came into being.  Many of these very early records are difficult to read; some being written in Latin and often provide little information - giving only the child's and father's names at a Christening/Baptism and only the name of the deceased in a burial entry.  Registers were the property of the incumbent Minister and every Parish was still required to keep a coffer in the Parish Church for the safe keeping of the Registers.  


From 1598; Parish Register entries were copied and sent annually to the Bishop for the Diocese of the area and said copies are known as Bishop’s Transcripts. The percentage of Parish Registers being kept in 1600 is approximately 54%, in 1555 approximately 14.8% and only 7.2% in 1538.


 The Change from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar in 1752


 The Gregorian calendar commonly used today, is a correction of the Julian calendar, which, because of miscalculated leap years, was 11 days behind the solar year by 1752; when England began using the Gregorian calendar.


Eleven days were removed to bring the calendar in line with the solar year.  The day after Wednesday 02 September 1752, became Thursday 14 September 1752.  At the same time, the first day of the year changed to 01 January.  Before 1752, the first day of the year was 25 March.


Pre-1752 dates may be confusing.  For example, the day after 24 March 1565 was 25 March 1566.  Dates between 01 January and 24 March are often recorded using a technique called double dating.  An example of how double dating is shown is - 16 February 1696/7.


Assistance Service

If you are undertaking your own research and would like your findings checked prior to continuing, I am happy to do this at a cost of £15.00 per hour (Minimum charge £30.00). 

So much to learn before you start to research....