Research commissioned as a gift
A family-history gift with their own story inside it.
For a significant birthday, retirement or anniversary, commission a professional investigation into a person, mystery or story from their family’s past.
01 / Why it works as a gift
Personal, because the question is theirs.
The best starting point is often already familiar: a grandparent who rarely spoke about the war, a relative who left the country, an old photograph, or a story that nobody quite knows how to verify.
We turn that starting point into professional research and a clearly written report. It can be opened and shared on the occasion, then returned to whenever the family wants to understand the evidence behind the story.
A gift commission is research first. The presentation matters because the findings are worth presenting well.
02 / How gift commissions work
You supply the beginning. We handle the investigation.
- 01
Choose a family question
Tell us who the gift is for and what the family already knows. If you only have a person, photograph or loose story, we help shape a realistic question.
- 02
Agree the discreet approach
We decide whether the recipient can be consulted, whether the research must remain a surprise, and which relatives may safely help with starting information.
- 03
Commission a fixed scope
We explain the likely records, what the first stage should try to establish, the research risk and a fixed price before work begins.
- 04
Present the findings
You receive a written, sourced report designed to make sense to somebody who has not followed the research process themselves.
03 / A fitting occasion
For a milestone that deserves more than another object.
70th or 80th birthdayA question the family has known for years
RetirementTime to look back at the lives that led here
Wedding anniversaryTwo family histories brought into one account
Family Christmas giftA commission siblings can arrange together
04 / Scope and price
A clear commission, agreed before research begins.
Most first investigations£395–£495
The exact scope depends on the question and the records likely to survive. We review the starting information first, explain what looks realistic and agree a fixed price.
Broader projects can be quoted separately. If relatives want to share the cost, one person can act as the contact for the commission.
Begin here
Who would you like to commission this for?
Tell us the occasion, the family starting point and whether the research needs to remain a surprise. We will help you shape a workable commission.
We review your question
We clarify anything essential
We propose a scope and fixed price