Modern genealogy, sober evidence, no magic wand
Family history research for people who need more than copied trees and hopeful guesses.
I help clients test family stories, solve difficult relationship questions, analyse DNA evidence, and turn scattered records into careful, sourced conclusions.
Documentary research
Birth, marriage, death, census, probate, military, land, migration, newspaper, cemetery, and archival research, depending on the question and record survival.
DNA analysis
Autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, match clustering, hypothesis testing, and evidence correlation with documentary records.
Reports and advice
Plain-English findings, source citations, evidence summaries, next-step recommendations, and clear statements about what is proved, likely, uncertain, or unproven.
What has changed
This website now better reflects how I actually work in 2026. Māori whakapapa remains within my professional scope where appropriate, but it is no longer presented as the main focus of the practice. These matters can be culturally, legally, and evidentially complex and may require careful staging, wider whānau knowledge, or specialist consultation.
Most enquiries now begin with defining the real question, identifying the evidence already held, and deciding whether the next step should be free intake, paid scoping, or a defined research block.
Good first enquiries include
- the exact question you want answered
- what you already know and how you know it
- copies of key certificates, documents, notes, or trees
- DNA testing details, if relevant
- your preferred first outcome, such as a short scoping memo or report