About Heritage Family History

Yes - Heritage really is my surname! The name was originally found in the Midlands of England and it is, naturally, there that it still predominates.

I have over 20 years of experience in family history, having first become interested in the subject as a teenager and have researched my own family history into the 1600s. I graduated with a BA (Hons.) degree in history from King’s College, London in 1988 and went on to study family history at the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury where I was later appointed as Registrar.

I launched my first series of family history classes in 2005 and these proved extremely popular. I am currently a regular lecturer at the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies and will be lecturing at the Society of Genealogists in London in 2009. I was also a lectuer and took part in expert advice sessions at the 2008 Who Do You Think You Are? National History Show at Olympia.

I write for several family history magazines, notably Your Family Tree Magazine, Kent Family History Society magazine and also for Practical Family History magazine who are currently publishing a series of articles I have written on the subject Records of Death. I have also featured as a guest genealogist for the popular BBC Radio Scotland programme Tracing Your Roots and am the genealogist on BBC Radio Kent’s Pat Marsh show for their family history phone-in.

I find that both teaching and carrying out research for those unable to do their own family tree are one of the most rewarding parts of the profession. I love helping people get under the skins of their ancestors and bringing their family history alive! At the end of the day I want to give you more than just a list of dates, names and occupations and in order to do this it is important to have a thorough understanding of the social and economic conditions of the day. This is where my background in history proves really helpful. Family history cannot be studied thoroughly without also investigationg the times in which your ancestors lived.

Testimonials

• "Thank you so much for the excellent research you did for my family tree. You gave me a great start to my own research giving me solid facts and the confidence to know that my future invesigations are not built on shaky foundations. Your enthusiasm is so infectious!"
  
  Mark Robinson, Norfolk
  
  
• " We were delighted with the family history research. Your enthusiasm really shone through. It was fascinating to see that our ancestors came from so many different parts of the UK and it was great to have the research so well referenced. It has inspired us to look further into the lives of our ancestors and we are now hooked! Thank you once again."
  
  Kathryn Richardson, Staffs
  
  
• "Thanks for the very interesting lectures you gave. You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself so clearly - I wish I could do that!"
  
  Anne Fleetcroft, Dorset
  
  
• "The classes that Celia ran were so valuable to me in my research.  As each week covered a different topic they were easy to follow, very interesting and with Celia’s knowledge gave me a wonderful start to tracing my family history.  I would certainly recommend anyone starting out on this fascinating subject to attend her lectures, talks and workshops."
  
  Sue H, Ashford, Kent
  
  
• "When I started classes with Celia I was a complete novice, knowing only that I wanted to research my family tree, but not having the slightest idea how to go about it or how to organise the huge volumes of information which eventually came my way.  Celia started us off gently with simple research, giving us examples to follow, showing us common pitfalls and giving lots of individual advice.  She is a mine of information on useful websites, such as newspapers and wills.  Once the class was familiar with on-line resources she encouraged us to go to sources such as parish records and The National Archives.  I can thoroughly recommend Celia as a teacher.   She has a very thorough knowledge and love of her subject, and clearly gets a lot of pleasure from sharing her knowledge with others.    Her enthusiasm is infectious.  Whilst my experience is that of a beginner, she was able to advise me on some unusual aspects of family history, and she is familiar with a huge range of resources." 
  
  Heather Norman, Kent
  
  
• I would like to say thank you for getting me started on my own family history quest. I found your course of lessons the best start I could have had. It was easy to follow and made me aware of a lot of pitfalls that I would not have known about. I have now amassed an enormous amount of information and I am now in touch with very distant living relatives.
  
  Edna Farley, Kent
  
  
• "I really enjoyed Celia's style of teaching and found her classes very helpful and imformative. I have continued this hobby and found a long lost relative in Canada."
  
  Elizabeth Tipping, Suffolk
  
   
• "Celia's seminars were both inspiring and extensively researched.  She brings the past to life and awakens a desire for knowledge about one's ancestry whilst clearly indicating the way to meeting that desire.  She has a huge well of experience and expertise and I would highly recommend her."  
  
  Josie Smeaton, Northumberland
  
  
• "Celia really knows her subject and is an excellent tutor, she taught me how to make real headway in finding my ancestors.  She did some research herself for me when I had really come to what had seemed a 'dead end'." 
  
  Ann Laight, Kent
  
  
• "Thank you for the surname interpretation, it's extremely interesting and much more in-depth than I expected." Anne, Kent