It all began when a family friend asked if I would like to help him with a project. He had a box of family documents and wondered if I would be interested in taking a look. The ‘box’ turned out to be a big metal steamer trunk, packed with bundles of family letters from the mid 1800s. As well as transcribing, organising and cataloguing all the letters, I did some background research on the ships, countries and events described in the letters. I was hooked, and I began to wonder if people did this sort of thing for a living… Now, after completing the University of Strathclyde’s thorough postgraduate programme in Genealogical Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies, I am a freelance genealogist. I look forward to taking you on your own genealogy adventure.