One of the great pleasures of family history is visiting where your ancestors lived. Millions of English, Scots, Welsh and Irish have gone to live in countries all over the world down the centuries. Closer to home, there are all those who migrated from one part of the United Kingdom to another.

We have conducted research for people with British ancestors from many parts of the world. The emigrants have included all sorts – an engineer from London, a carpenter from Somerset, a tailor from Edinburgh, a crofter from Sutherland, a soldier from Newry. Seeing the old house or farm where your forebears lived is a moving experience. The church where the family were baptised, married and buried is usually still there; as is the countryside that they would have seen every day. And there can be the thrill of meeting a cousin you did not know existed.

• John and his family left Scotland for the goldfields of Ballarat in 1857. We traced the family back to the early 18th century and found a lot of information about their lives. So Terri was thrilled when we accompanied her to visit 5 farms where her ancestors had lived, with 3 owners inviting her in to see the houses.
• Edward left London in 1850. When his descendants visited England, our help included preparing a Visitors Guide so they could walk round the City of London and see where the family had lived and worked. We traced the family back to the 17th century in Northumberland; and arranged for them to stay at the lovely hotel built on the land that their ancestors had farmed.

Our Homecoming package can include details about your ancestors, maps, a suggested itinerary and accompanied visit tailored to your precise requirements to ensure you get the greatest benefit from the trip.