Your Family Story Starts Here
Discover Your Family Story
Find out who your ancestors were, make sense of a DNA test, or discover the story behind a coat of arms. Our researchers do the searching and explain what they find, so you can get closer to your family's past.
Choose Your Starting Point
What would you like to discover?
You do not need to know where to look or which records to use. Start with the question that matters to you. We will bring the research experience.
Family Research Services
Who were my ancestors? Get help finding relatives from the past, checking your family tree, or answering a question you cannot solve.
Browse Family ResearchDNA Services
What can my DNA tell me? Get help understanding your test results or deciding which kind of DNA test might help.
Browse DNA ServicesHeraldry Research
What does this coat of arms mean? Let us investigate a shield, crest, or family symbol and find out who it belonged to.
Browse Heraldry Services60+ years of expertise
Our team brings decades of experience finding family stories and explaining the records behind them.
Worldwide reach
Although much work focuses on England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, research can extend across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
Clear reporting
Completed research includes a detailed report, copies of original documents, and a family tree chart where appropriate.
01 / Find Your Ancestors
Family Research Services
Whether you are starting from a few names or have already built part of your family tree, we can help. Our researchers search old records, check the details, and piece together the people and places in your family story.
Choose a research package if you want us to do the searching, or a consultation if you would like advice on your own research.
- Find ancestors and check your family tree
- Trace relatives from Britain and Ireland
- Explore family roots in Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales
- Look for relatives you have been unable to find
- Find and understand old family records
- Receive a clear account of what we discover
Tell us what you already know and what you would like to find out. We will explain what the records show and where questions remain.
Genealogy Research Packages
How much would you like to discover?
Start with a smaller package for one family line, or choose more research time for a bigger question. Open the shop to see what is included and the current price before buying.
Shop Family Research Services
Essentials: Start Your Family Tree
A starting point if you know little about your family history. We aim to trace one branch of your family back three to four generations, depending on the records available.
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View Essentials
Foundations: Follow a Family Line
For a closer look at one branch of your family. Research usually follows one family name back four to six generations, depending on the records available.
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View Foundations
Extended: Explore a Harder Question
For questions that need more time to investigate, such as relatives who lived in different countries or ancestors from much earlier centuries.
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View Extended
Premium: Build a Fuller Family Story
For a larger family history project. This package gives our researchers more time to follow the evidence and bring different parts of your family story together.
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View PremiumTalk Through Your Family History
Not sure what to try next?
Choose a consultation if you want advice before doing more research yourself. Bring your questions and what you already know. We will help you work out where to look next.
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- A fresh pair of eyes: we look at what you have found and suggest what to try next.
- Help finding records: learn where useful information may be kept.
- Help when you are stuck: explore another way to look for a missing relative.
- A plan you can follow: leave with clear next steps for your own research.
For U.S. Families
Researching American Families with Roots in Britain and Ireland
If your family came to America from England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales, we can help you follow their story back across the Atlantic. We know where to look for the records that may connect your family to the people and places they left behind.
Online family trees can be a useful starting point, but details are not always correct. We check names, dates, and family links against records so you can understand which parts of your story are supported and which need more work.
02 / Understand Your DNA
DNA Services
DNA test results can raise as many questions as they answer. We explain what your results may tell you about your family and help you decide what to explore next.
IHGS does not offer DNA testing itself, but can help you decide where to test and which tests may be useful. Review the available services to find support for your existing results or your next steps.
DNA Advice: Where to Start
Choose this if you are new to DNA testing or unsure what to do next. We answer your questions and explain which tests may help with your family history.
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View DNA Advice
DNA Discovery: Your Father-to-Son Line
Already taken a Y-DNA test? This test follows the direct line from father to son. We help you explore what your results may reveal about places your ancestors came from in England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales.
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View DNA Discovery03 / Explore a Family Symbol
Heraldry Research
A coat of arms is a design, often shown on a shield, used to identify a person or family line. Heraldry is the study of these designs. Sharing a surname does not automatically mean a particular coat of arms belongs to your family.
Perhaps you have found a design on an old document, a piece of jewelry, or something passed down in your family. We can investigate its history and look for the people connected with it.
Identify a Coat of Arms
Choose this if you have a coat of arms and know which country it comes from. We look for a record of the design and, where possible, the person who used it.
Not every design can be identified. Check the service details before buying, especially if you do not know the country of origin.
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View Coat of Arms Identification
Explore a Coat of Arms and Its Family
Choose this when your question involves both a coat of arms and the people connected with it. We investigate family records alongside the history of the design.
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View Family and Coat of Arms ResearchComing Soon
The Ultimate Ancestral Journey
Walk Your Ancestors’ Footsteps
You have seen the moving family discoveries on Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are? Soon, you will be able to embark on your own ancestral journey with IHGS.
Turn your family history into a journey you can experience. Walk the streets, explore the towns and villages, and discover the places connected to your ancestors—with an expert beside you to bring their stories to life.
We are developing a travel package with a travel agent that brings together personal family research, travel and accommodation arrangements, and expert guidance. From the first discovery to the places it leads you, this is a new way to feel closer to your family’s past.
Your family story shapes the journey
You hire our research department to explore your family history and identify the places connected to your ancestors. What we discover provides the starting point for your journey.
Your travel is arranged for you
The travel agent books your travel and accommodations around the ancestral locations uncovered through your research, bringing the practical parts of the journey together.
An expert brings the past to life
One of our experts guides you through the experience, explaining how the places you visit connect to your ancestors and helping you see their world through new eyes.
Experience You Can Rely On
Why Choose IHGS Research Services?
IHGS has helped people explore family history for more than sixty years. Our researchers know how to find old records, check their details, and explain what they mean for your family.
Our researchers work with the IHGS family history library in Canterbury, England. Its books, handwritten records, and old property documents can help us look beyond the information available online.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you research my family tree for me?
Yes. We can look for your ancestors, check an existing family tree, or investigate a particular question about your family.
Do you research American families?
Yes. Many of our clients are based in the United States and are researching ancestors with connections to England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
Can you help when my family research is stuck?
Yes. We can review what you already know, look for records you may not have found, and try a different approach to your question.
Will I receive a written account of the research?
Yes. We explain what we found in a written report and show the records behind our findings.
Discover How the Experts Do It
Want to research your family story yourself?
Learn how to find old records, check family connections, and understand what the evidence tells you. IHGS courses teach the methods our experts use, so you can take the next steps in your own family research with confidence.