Hire a pro?

[bugbear]

(since this forum is indexed by google, I'll have to be a bit evasive, in case my other half trips over this post)

My SO, for whom I have done MUCH FH research has a VERY difficult ancestor, and he's only a great grandfather. I have much detail on his life (98 fully cited events in my Gramps DB).


He spent most of his early life around the Stoke Newington, Islington, Hackney area.

All I know about his previous generation is that he claimed his father was "John" when he married. He probably came from Cornwall, given the surname.

I have tried, really hard, including assistance from the good denizens of this forum and FAILED to find more.

I think the only way my SO is going to have a deeper tree is if I hire a expert/professional genealogist with good knowledge (and physical access to) the local archives (mainly at Islington, I think, possibly Hackney), and if all goes well, give her the new info as a new year/post Xmas gift.

Can anyone advise on finding and engaging such an expert?

  - signed "in hope"

[dawnsh]

They are, by the very nature of their working location costly, the LMA does research but it's £50 hour. Have you tried looking at the AGRA website?

Even if you pay up there's no guarantee of results and you may find you consider the outlay to be wasted.

Can you post the URLs to the previous topics here?

Maybe we can re-visit them and have another look.

[bugbear]

Have you tried looking at the AGRA website?

Didn't know it existed!

Thank you.

I shall ponder on the other points you raise.

 BugBear

[bugbear]

Can you post the URLs to the previous topics here?

Maybe we can re-visit them and have another look.

This is the biggest one:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=666303.0

This was a (desperate!) follow up;

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=699161.msg5425757#msg5425757

I've also eye-balled about a decade of stoke Newington PRs (it wasn't a big place back then)

My gramps DB now stands at

1451 people
4267 events
2230 citations
1563 pieces of digital media
   
    "researcher"

[dawnsh]

Have found a family in Wales in 1871

RG10; Piece: 5450; Folio: 94; Page: 20;

Have you ruled these out?

I can't easily find them in 1881

[loo]

If you go ahead with hiring a researcher, my advice would be to be very specific about what it is that they are going to research, why it might make a significant difference, and  also to be clear on why you couldn't get at it some other way.  Some of the reports I have read which were done by hired help were more about producing a fancy-looking tree than about in-depth research that you couldn't do yourself.
Do enough research by internet and email to know specifically which records you want looked into, and where they are held.  Then ask the pro if he/she has additional avenues to suggest, and why they might be fruitful.
Otherwise, it could be very expensive with poor results, as this fellow's roots have already proven elusive.
Have you tried writing to any of the magazines etc that have "brick wall" columnists?  You certainly seem to have hit one! 

[fifer1947]

You've probably elimated this chap:

John Thomas Benjamin Boyce  Jul-Aug-Sep 1862 Shoreditch London

The name Boyce came up when I searched for Bice.

[bugbear]

Have found a family in Wales in 1871

RG10; Piece: 5450; Folio: 94; Page: 20;

Have you ruled these out?

I can't easily find them in 1881

'Tis late, and I'll confirm in the morning.

But my (genealogist) cousin sent me that, and (IIRC) they turn in in both 1871 and 1891 as Price
(or Pryce, or similar), still in Swansea.

The name and date are lovely, I grant you. 
EDIT:

Got it:

Piece:    5357
Folio:    79
Page Number:    5

All (still) in Swansea, 1881, including young John, albeit as "Rice"

 BugBear

[bugbear]

You've probably elimated this chap:

John Thomas Benjamin Boyce  Jul-Aug-Sep 1862 Shoreditch London

The name Boyce came up when I searched for Bice.

No, he's new, although the Benjamin never came up in subsequent records.

I'll look into it, thank you.

 BugBear