I am Anne Matanle. I have been a Genealogist for over 30 years and have been teaching Family History Research to Adults since 1996. So I know what researchers need. Let me show you how to find many more Archives, their dates and locations to help your research.



HAVE WE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOUR ANCESTOR?

Find out by searching the Index of Surnames from my collection of thousands of named old photographs in the Family Photographic Index.

£2.00 per successful search - if unsuccessful, no charge.

Use a 'wild card' * or ? in place of variable letters (e.g. Sm*th for Smith/Smyth). Results of each £2.00 search include all examples of the searched name in the index.

See links below.
How to search the Index.    Examples of the search results.    About signatures.    About the Index of Surnames.    How to buy a copy of a photograph.

Brickwall? Internet research stuck?
Internet research is limited : not all archives are online.

What Date? pocket books 1 & 2, & on CDs, list all archives you need to know about, with dates & locations, from now back to 1650.
See sample page of What Date? book 1 below, from 14 pages of lists of archives and easy to use charts..
The dates of the archives are coloured in grey, so that you can see, at a glance when they are available.

There are 14 pages of archives in the form of a timeline chart, in
'What Date?' book 1.

  • In Family History Research it is necessary to have knowledge of the dates of archives.
  • This will enable you to know what records can be searched at any one time.
  • You also need to know where you can see them and how to search them, so you do not waste precious research time.

Here is how the charts will help you if you wish to move on or get stuck.
A sample page from 'What Date? ' book two's 22 pages of listed archives.

  • Find the date at which you are stuck
  • Trace the date down the timeline.
  • Mark all the archives available at the time when your research had stalled.
  • The marked archives may remind you of an archive not yet researched or a new area where your elusive ancestor may be lurking!
  • Mark all the archives that you HAVE researched, so that you do not repeat your research.
  • Your research may often get stuck in certain years. In my tutorials I would ask the students to tell me at 'What Date?' they are stuck, then I would show them all the archives available at that date.
  • 'Think Laterally'-'Think Dates'.

These books are so useful!