Celia Heritage is a leading genealogy author, speaker and teacher who has regularly featured on television, radio and in print as she seeks to unravel the mysteries in even the most complex family trees, including the internationally acclaimed BBC TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Her areas of specialism are Kent Family History, Pre-1800s Genealogy, Heritage Travel, Maps, Surname History, Death and Burial, Gravestones and Churchyard History. Celia is also a psychological therapist and mind coach, and ties this in with DNA work, offering support for those adversely affected by unexpected DNA results, and anyone who feels displaced or disconnected because of family trauma or emigration.

A former tutor and lecturer for the Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies, Pharos Tutors, and a key note speaker at a number of large conferences, in 2018 Celia was invited to join the international team of Ancestry ProGenealogists, the research arm of Ancestry.com, where she worked for just under 5 years as a Research Manager and Genealogist specialising in English and Welsh Research, Ancestral Tourism, and managing sessions that involved unknown parentage and DNA. In this role she worked on hundreds of research projects for clients from across the world (USA, Australasia, and Europe) specialising in family history research with English and Welsh roots and working on projects for film and media.

Over the years, Celia has helped hundreds of people discover more about their families.

“For me, research is not just about recording names and dates but is about really getting under the skins of our ancestors; learning more about the past and how it affected them; tying this in with social, political and local history to get a wider picture”.

Celia’s book, Tracing Your Ancestors Through Death Records (published in 2013 with a second edition in 2015) was a best seller. Her latest book, Cemeteries and Graveyards. A Guide for Local and Family Historians in England and Wales, was published by Pen and Sword Books on 17 March 2022 and is available here.

Outside of the world of family history, Celia runs MindPebble Coaching and B + B Retreat. She is an operatically trained singer and recitalist, and a keen advocate for nature conservation and wilder churchyards.