Guidance for a successful query
- please read before writing

Our efforts are focused solely on the pursuit of ancestors in the period before the last 100 years.  Consequently, if your query concerns someone who was born, lived or died within the last 100 years I am unable to entertain your query.  We do not delve into the records of individuals who may have first-generation living descendants owing to the numerous privacy and data collection laws.  Neither will we advise of search strategies regarding such individuals.  

We do not maintain records on individuals or families other than what is already posted on our web site. Nor do we conduct personal research for individuals as we are all volunteers and just simply do not have sufficient time to do so.

We have only the extent of information that is either linked to on the parish page, in the Kent Family Garden, or available as a 'lookup' from an online parish clerk.  If there is no parish page for a parish in which your ancestors lived please do not write to us requesting information as we have no information or data for that parish at all.  You might wish to try to find your answer on one of the pay-per-view subscriptions websites.

The extent of 'lookups' available from any one parish clerk is expressed on the parish page with the clerk's name and contact details.  So, if we have a parish clerk that is prepared to do lookups only in census records, that clerk is not prepared to entertain queries of a different nature.  Please abide by that clerk's decision and submit queries related only to the resources that the clerk has stated.  If you do submit a query to an online parish clerk please be aware that a response may take up to 3 weeks to be sent to you.  Please be patient, our OPCs are volunteers and have busy lives in addition to their volunteer activities.

As regards the list of resources that is listed on each parish page, please be advised that a link will underline when you hover your mouse over a resource. The link will also turn red. These events indicate that that link is active and by clicking on it a new page will open, either on our site or elsewhere on the web, with data.  All other record references on the parish page are not active and no additional information is available.  The resources that are listed in non-active links distinguished by very small text size and pale blue in colour serve as a wish-list for volunteers, should there be some kind soul who is willing to donate a resource or two for us.

To assist you with your research, you should also pursue the records that are linked to from our various website pages at:

Research Tips
Cemeteries & Crematoria
Resource Links
County Records
Families Links

and search through our newspaper extracts at

Newspaper Extracts.

We also have a directory of agencies, societies, et cetera at

Address Directory.

Good luck with your research.