Genealogist 
Learning about local history is a fascinating end in itself and an integral part of many wider research activities. I take great pleasure in learning about local history, and get even more enjoyment from passing it on to other people. To this end I provide local history research, tours and teaching for a wide variety of people. I have a strong academic background, having studied history to a post-graduate level, and over many years working in archives, as a researcher and as a lecturer I have become adept at sharing my knowledge in a way that is accessible to all levels.
If you are interested in a service please email me at gblanchard@pastsearch.co.uk. The information on the rest of this page should provide some idea of what I can offer, but getting in touch is the best way to find out.
All my services cover a wide variety of topics, including:
- Residents - the people who lived in an area and how their lives changed over time.
- Key Events and Significant Characters – which events and people from an area shaped local and national destiny.
- Geography - what areas of a locality were used for which purposes and how this evolved over time.
- Industries - how the jobs available shaped lives and defined wealth.
- Buildings - how variations in wealth and style, combined with technological innovations, changed the structures in which people lived.
Research
My research is tailored to focus on areas of interest specified by the client, for example they may be interested in local trades and the lives of those working in them. My previous commissions include:
- Research for businesses looking to attract historical tourism and emphasis their place in a community.
- Providing background information for journalists pursuing a historical story.
- Offering a broad portrait of life at a particular time for a someone who had a large number of ancestors living in the area.
- Giving regular talks to local history societies and research for the Parson Woodforde Society.
- Research I've undertaken has been used by a number of national and local heritage groups, including English Heritage at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk and HEART for their blue plaque scheme in Norwich'.
Previous topics of research include:
- Bomb damage in Norfolk and Suffolk during the Second World War
- The tithe protests of the early 20th century
- Ship owners
- Housing conditions in rural areas during the 18th and 19th century
- Bigamy, dicorce and legal separation
- Parish workhouses
- Local charities
- Huguenots and Walloons
- Immigration
- The wool trade of East Anglia
- Smuggling and shipwrecking
- The Burston School Strike
- Roman Catholicism
- The development of Baptist and Methodist communities
- Friendly Societies and Burial Clubs
- The poor law and its effect on the local community
People
Occupations I have researched include:
• Watchmakers
• Dressmakers
• Shopkeepers
• Millers
• Gardeners
• Musicians
• Photographers
• Customs and Excise Officers
• Nurses
• Midwives
• Workhouse Masters
• Schoolteachers
• Apothecaries
• Ship owners
• Mayors
• Doctors
I've also researched broader areas of society, such as; apprentices, sheriffs, freemen, and even 'witches'.
Tours
Walking in your ancestors footsteps provides an immediate connection to the past. Tours are a great way to get people interested in an area, they can range from an hour long walk-round, to a tour as part of a wider event. Typical tour subjects include:
- Explaining the history of well known local landmarks.
- Exploring different types of architecture and how certain styles can to be.
- Revolt and Revolution - Discover local events and people which changed history and the places associated with them.
- Power and Prosperity - why and how was East Anglia so rich before the industrial revolution?
- Crime and Poverty - jails, workhouses, dastardly deeds .
Courses
My courses teach research skills for local history. This covers where to look for information, how to verify it and the best way of deciding on leads to follow. My courses are run online, through Pharos Tutors, and taught face-to-face.