‘There is a detective element to it’: How Anglia Research can help you investigate your family lineage

Martin Friel speaks to the director of a genealogy firm about how TV shows have been both a blessing and a curse for the industry

Philip Turvey of Anglia research (Anglia Research)

Think of genealogy, the study and tracing of lines of descent, and images of bearded men in beige corduroy trousers, knee deep in the dusty archives of some parish council building, probably spring to mind.

It’s not the kind of profession you would associate with sharp practices, fraud and deception but thanks to a recent surge in the popularity of genealogy, thanks to shows like Heir Hunters and Who Do You Think You Are?, that is exactly what has happened.

“Genealogy is often viewed as a gentle industry with dusty books which to an extent it is in the traditional sense,” says Phil Turvey, executive director of Anglia Research, a probate genealogy firm. (Such firms are hired to establish the family tree of a deceased person, then settle their estate with the rightful heirs.)

“But when you move over to the probate genealogy side, it is very far removed from that,” Turvey says.

He believes that certain TV shows have put a spin on the reality of the work, making it look like a profession where amateurs can get rich quick. And that perception seems to be attractive with the number of probate genealogy businesses in the UK booming in recent years.

“Anyone could set up their own business. There are no barriers to entry in that regard but it wasn’t always like that,” says Turvey.

Anglia Research was set up by Turvey’s father Peter in the Seventies. Turvey grew up in this world, joining his father in the archives at weekends and on school holidays, so it was perhaps inevitable that he would join the family business. Indeed, it seems that early exposure to the profession imbued him with a passion for the work.

“There is a detective element to it,” he says. “It is a challenge and you have to keep going at a case and, although I don’t do as much research as I used to do, I like helping out or assisting on a difficult piece of research. You want to find something; you want to locate something that nobody else has spotted.”

And that passion may start to explain his indignation at what has become of the profession. Turvey is at the forefront of a drive to regulate the sector in a bid to drive out the sharp practices.

“There are more cases being solved and there is more competition which means the consumer benefits,” he says. “What has come with that is the sharp practices and they have gone hand in hand with each other unfortunately.”

The reputation he is so keen to protect is occasionally dragged through the courts where those practices are brought into the light. The prize these genealogists are seeking is the commission that is payable when the rightful inheritor has been found and paid.

“There are just over 8,000 estates listed on the government department website and while we can’t say what the value may be, it is an industry of sufficient value to attract a number of companies,” says Turvey.

His attempts to clean up the profession have taken the form of the Association of Probate Researchers, which has been set up in partnership with a handful of other firms to try to establish a code of conduct and set out minimum standards. While regulation is voluntary, Turvey believes it is an essential step for any professional organisation to take.

The very same TV shows that Turvey believes have led to a muddying of the profession’s reputation are also driving a huge amount of interest and growth

“We see it as having a duty of care, a duty to locate all the entitled relatives out there. But as in most industries there are people that will cut corners,” he says.

“I hope we can clean it up. It’s not easy and we have come under attack. It’s a ruthless sector but you have to take the rough with the smooth if you are championing transparency.”

And he is not over egging it when he says he has come under attack. A few years ago, Turvey found himself in the middle of a legal dispute with a rival firm he accused of orchestrating a defamatory email campaign against him. It was eventually settled out of court in Turvey’s favour for a reported £40,000.

But this is just one example of a more widespread problem.

“We have seen one company try to adopt a franchise model to outsource work to individuals, do a minimal amount of work and then distribute the estate on a rather dubious basis and we are in discussions with trading standards about this,” says Turvey.

“There are so many examples of bad distribution and ludicrous charges.”

It’s not all bad news though. The very same TV shows that Turvey believes have led to a muddying of the profession’s reputation are also driving a huge amount of interest and growth.

“Families have become more fragmented and there is greater curiosity about where people came from,” explains Turvey.

“One family being born, marrying and dying in the same village just doesn’t happen now. People travel and settle in different towns or even emigrate or move for a job. Part of the boom in genealogy has stemmed from families becoming more disconnected and really wanting to discover more about where they come from.”

This growing interest has seen Anglia Research develop an international presence with operations opening up in Jamaica, Canada, Australia and the US.

“Post-World War Two, there was a lot of immigration from central and eastern Europe and that generation is now dying and their heirs are abroad. There are challenges and opportunities in tracing those families,” he says.

“And we are seeing a similar pattern with the Windrush generation which has been a real success for us.”

Of course, he is happy to see the popularity and interest in the sector grow but it is clear that Turvey is not willing to accept that popularity and growth at the expense of a profession he clearly loves.

“We want to bring greater regulation to the sector, greater transparency and steer the industry away from an unsavoury reputation which it has taken on in recent years – and really strive to improve the image of the sector,” he says.