From wills to letters—if it's legible, I can transcribe it.
Specialising in British, Irish, and Scottish historical documents from the 17th-19th centuries. Based in England with expertise in UK archives—ideal for USA, Australian, and Canadian researchers tracing British ancestry.Last wills and testaments, probate inventories, letters of administration, executor accounts. I understand the legal language and can decode even the most complex bequests.
Indentures, conveyances, lease agreements, mortgage deeds, marriage settlements. These often contain crucial family information beyond just property transfers.
Quarter Sessions records, trial depositions, witness statements, bastardy bonds. Court documents can reveal fascinating family stories.
Baptism, marriage, and burial entries (when handwritten), churchwardens' accounts, vestry minutes, poor law records. Essential sources for early family history.
Letters, diaries, journals, family papers. Often the most intimate and revealing documents in your family history.
Apprenticeship indentures, guild records, account books, ledgers, receipts. Show how your ancestors made their living.
Service records, discharge papers, pension applications, medal citations. Track your ancestors' military service.
Handwritten census returns, prison registers, workhouse records, hospital admission books, school registers. Tabular records transcribed into clear spreadsheet format.
Manorial records, tithe maps and apportionments, enclosure awards, land tax assessments. Trace property ownership through generations.
Passenger lists, naturalisation papers, port records. Follow your ancestors' journeys.
20th century letters, notes, manuscripts, diaries. If you can't read someone's handwriting or just need it typed up, I can help.
If you have a historical document not listed here, contact me. I can usually help with any handwritten English-language document from the 17th century onwards.
Your transcription delivered as a clean, properly formatted Microsoft Word document. Ready to use in your research or share with family members.
Layout matches the original where helpful. Paragraphs, lists, and sections clearly indicated. Tabular records converted to readable table format.
Any word I'm not completely certain of is marked as [?uncertain]. You'll know exactly what's definite and what might need verification.
Archaic terms, unusual abbreviations, or legal phrases explained in footnotes or endnotes where helpful.
I keep the original spelling and punctuation so you have an accurate historical record—but I'll flag anything confusing.
For an additional fee, I can provide basic historical context where possible—identifying dates, legal officials, or place names mentioned. This is NOT professional genealogical research or family tree building, just contextual information to enhance completeness of the transcription. Additional research quoted separately.
If you spot something that needs clarification or have questions about the transcription, minor revisions are included in the price.
No—photographs or scans are perfectly fine. Just make sure the images are clear and high-resolution enough to read. I can advise on photographing documents if needed.
Important: Please do not send original documents by post. Digital images only.
I'll transcribe everything that's clearly legible and mark any uncertain readings with [?text] or [?...] for illegible sections. Sometimes document condition - fading, water damage, poor scan quality, or extremely cramped handwriting - makes portions genuinely illegible even to experienced transcribers.
If significant portions are illegible, I'll discuss this with you before beginning work. You may need a higher quality scan, access to the original document, or should know upfront that a complete transcription isn't possible from the available image. Professional integrity means being honest about limitations rather than guessing.
Most documents are completed within 2-5 working days. Complex or lengthy documents may take longer—I'll give you an estimated completion date when I quote. Rush service available for urgent needs.
I specialise in English-language documents. I can handle Latin phrases commonly found in English legal documents, but for documents entirely in other languages, I can recommend specialist translators.
I specialise in 17th-19th century documents but can work with anything from medieval through to modern handwriting. If you're unsure, send me a sample and I'll let you know if I can help.
My specialty is handwritten documents, but I can transcribe old printed documents if they use archaic typefaces or Gothic/blackletter fonts that are difficult to read.
No—I'm a transcriber, not a professional genealogist or researcher. My service is transcribing what's written in your documents. If requested and priced separately, I can provide basic historical context (identifying dates, legal officials, or place names where verifiable) to enhance completeness, but I don't trace family lines, build family trees, or conduct archival research on your behalf. For genealogical research services, I can recommend professional genealogists.
Send me your document and I'll provide a free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours.
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