Our People

A team you can trust

Our people

A team you can trust

Our people

A team you can trust

Aidan founded Estate Research in 2001, having gained vital industry experience in London with two other probate research companies. Over the last 20 years, Aidan has witnessed considerable change within the industry. When he began his career, research was carried out by painstakingly searching through microfiches, or by visiting St Catherine’s House. These records were matched to the phone book and just one year of electoral rolls and the information obtained was the only way to trace people. More recently, records have been digitalised, the electoral rolls have become freely available and social media has made everyone findable. Aidan is dedicated to improving the service for the legal sector and strives to make Estate Research the tried and trusted name in probate genealogy.

Aidan is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Aidan Hutchings

Managing Director Aidan Hutchings

Ailsa has over 10 years experience in in reception  and administration roles across various industries. She joins Estate Research in this key supportive role assisting the overall business with day to day operations.

01942 826 500 Email Ailsa MacDonald

Receptionist Ailsa MacDonald

With nearly 20 years’ experience in genealogy, Alex overseas research from our London office and regularly provides presentations regarding probate genealogy services to the private client industry. He successfully completed his Law Degree (LLB) in July 2014.

Alex is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

020 7347 5140 Email Alex Avery

Head of Private Client - Consultant Alex Avery

Following careers in finance and education, Alison is relishing her move into the field of genealogy. After experience in projects, she is now using her attention to detail to put family ‘jigsaws’ together. She finds helping clients navigate what can be an unfamiliar and unnerving set of circumstances, particularly rewarding.

01942 826 500 Email Alison Moulsdale

Public Sector Case Manager Alison Moulsdale

Amanda joined Estate Research after 15 years in teaching. She facilitates the smooth running of the office and maintains close contact with our client base. She loves ‘heir hunting’: reuniting lost families and presenting the family tree to her clients.

Amanda is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Amanda Marlow

Senior Case Manager / Office Manager Amanda Marlow

Andrew joined Estate Research in 2018 and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in genealogy and estate administration services. Based in Glasgow, Andrew is ideally placed to meet his clients on a regular basis.

01942 826 500 Email Andrew Miller

Private Client Manager Andrew Miller

Angie joined Estate Research after working for more than 20 years in the legal sector. She is enjoying the challenge of organising the financial side of a busy and diverse company.

01942 826 500 Email Angela Dumper

Accountant Angela Dumper

Anthony joined Estate Research in 2018. Graduating from Edge Hill University with a degree in History and several years of experience in both the private and public sector, he is a highly valued member of the Private Client department.

01942 826 500 Email Anthony Scully

Private Client Case Manager Anthony Scully

Becki joined Estate Research in February 2019, with over 20 years’ experience within HR across multiple sectors. Becki also has a background in Operational & Project Management. In addition to her HR duties Becki also oversees the companies ISO 9001, 14001, & 27001 accreditations, health & safety and GDPR.

01942 826 500 Email Becki McElhinney

HR Manager Becki McElhinney

Becky graduated with a First from the University of York in 2020 after studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). With previous experience working in the charity sector and a keen interest in genealogy, Becky now works within the Public Sector Team as a Case Manager.

01942 826 500 Email Becky France

Public Sector Case Manager Becky France

Ben joined Estate Research after studying economics at St. Andrews University. He enjoyed the research involved in the study of Economic History, and brings that same passion for history and research to the Private Client team.

01942 826 500 Email Benjamin Clark

Researcher Benjamin Clark

Cara joined Estate Research after graduating from Edge Hill University with a First Class Honours English Literature Degree and Research Masters. She enjoys carrying out archival research and transfers this to her role in genealogy.

01942 826 500 Email Cara Wadsworth

New Business Manager Cara Wadsworth

Dave began his working life in banking but then qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant and worked in a number of private and listed companies as Finance Director before joining Hammer Price Homes to head up the compliance side of the business. Dave now handles all things sales & marketing and in normal times will be up and down the country presenting the benefits of using the Hammer Price Homes online auction to sell properties.

01942 826 500 Email Dave Marlow

Head of Sales & Marketing at Hammer Price Homes Dave Marlow

Dominic heads up our large Private Client team, all of whom are focused on delivering top-class genealogy services to solicitors. He has worked within the probate research and genealogy industry since 2008 and has specialised in private client genealogy for most of the last decade. Since 2015 Dominic has travelled across the UK & internationally, meeting with private client practitioners in order to develop Estate Research's key services.

Dominic is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Dominic Hendry

Head of Private Client - Head Office Dominic Hendry

Donna recently joined Estate Research as a Private Client Manager. She graduated from the University of Abertay Dundee with a degree in Forensic Science. Donna is a highly experienced business development and client relationship manager having previously worked for over a decade as a BDM for a global MedTech Company.

01942 826 500 Email Donna Miller

Private Client Manager Donna Miller

Ellis graduated with a History Degree from the University of Liverpool in 2019 and completed an MA in Twentieth-Century History in 2020. He particularly enjoyed the social history aspect of his degree which is now utilised in his current role as a Case Manager in our Private Client department.

01942 826 500 Email Ellis Gittings

Private Client Case Manager Ellis Gittings

Elly has joined the world of genealogy over five years ago after fifteen eventful years working in broadcast television, both in the UK and Australia.  Elly is very sociable and loves making new connections.

020 7347 5140 Email Elly Coombs

Private Client Case Manager Elly Coombs

Emily has been working in probate genealogy since 2009 and joined our team in 2017. Emily has experience in all parts of the industry having worked in Private Client and Public Sector departments as well as having experience working on cases that originate overseas. Emily particularly enjoys the challenge of international probate research.

Emily is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Emily Talbot

International Senior Case Manager Emily Talbot

Gavin joined us as our Legal Services Manager & Head of Overseas Assets after 15 years working in the legal services industry gained at Thomson Reuters, Veyo and Hammicks. Building relationships and developing products are his strengths.

01942 826 500 Email Gavin Potter

Legal Services Manager & Head of Overseas Assets Gavin Potter

Hayley graduated from the University of Leeds in 2014 with an International Politics Degree. Having worked in executive search and then in sales and marketing for one of the UK’s largest media providers; Hayley now leads on all marketing and sales support projects for Estate Research.

01942 826 500 Email Hayley Miller

Marketing and Project Manager Hayley Miller

Helen worked in the legal profession for over 10 years before moving to Estate Research. With a keen interest in research and family history, she welcomed the opportunity to work for Estate Research, doing what she loves.

Helen is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Helen Greaves

Senior Public Sector Case Manager Helen Greaves

Helen has worked at Estate Research for more than five years. Her background in corporate finance, combined with her psychology degree from Lancaster University, enables her to utilise her acquired skills to maximum effect in her much-loved role.

Helen is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Helen Sharrock

Senior Public Sector Case Manager Helen Sharrock

After completing her BA in History at University of Liverpool, Isabelle went onto study for her MA in History at the University of Manchester, graduating in December 2021. Utilising the skills gained in her degree as well as her experience from a previous role as a researcher for the National Trust - Isabelle joined our Private Client team as a Researcher and was quickly promoted to the role of Trainee Case Manager and now Private Client Case Manager.

01942 826 500 Email Isabelle Roberts

Private Client Case Manager Isabelle Roberts

Jade has an LLB Hons Law Degree and studied at The University of Buckingham. She has worked within the legal sector for the past 7 years and has extended knowledge of case management.

Jade is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Jade Taylor

Private Client Deputy Team Leader Jade Taylor

James joined Estate Research after graduating from Leeds Beckett University with a First-Class Honours Degree in History. He brings expertise from his research background and a passion for history.

01942 826 500 Email James Bryer

Public Sector Trainee Case Manager James Bryer

James joined Estate Research with 6 years’ experience in legal services. With degrees in Law & Philosophy, James has dedicated himself to building trusted relationships with his clients, advising them on technical matters and supporting them with their work in estate administration.

01942 826500 Email James Cameron

Private Client Manager James Cameron

Formerly a music teacher, Janet has been a professional genealogist since 1999, specialising in probate research for over 10 years. Since 2010, she has been Chairman of ASGRA (Association of Scottish Genealogists & Researchers in Archives).

01942 826 500 Email Janet Bishop

Head of Scottish Research Janet Bishop

Jess joined Estate Research after working in the legal sector for 5 years. She has a BA (Hons) Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Edge Hill University. She continued her studies at Liverpool John Moores University and obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law, and Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

01942 826 500 Email Jess Booth

Public Sector Case Manager Jess Booth

Jo has worked in genealogy since 2008 with experience in international estates, especially those originating from the USA. She enjoys the variety of the role, having a keen interest in history.

01942 826 500 Email Jo Ibrahim

International Senior Case Manager Jo Ibrahim

Jo worked in the legal sector for 8 years and retrained to become an IT trainer for a large law firm in East Anglia furthering her knowledge of practice management systems. Jo manages the Overseas Assets department and has developed and handles the company’s databases.

01942 826 500 Email Jo Potter

Overseas Assets Manager Jo Potter

Having worked with public sector clients since 2007 in a constantly evolving industry, Jonathan strives to adapt and improve our resources to ensure that service output is consistently excellent.

A member of the Professional Paralegal Register

01942 826 500 Email Jonathan Platt

Public Sector Manager Jonathan Platt

With a degree in History and previous experience of working within the probate genealogy sector – Joseph brings fantastic industry experience to his role as a Case Manager for our Private Client team.

01942 826 500 Email Joseph Gadsby

Private Client Case Manager Joseph Gadsby

With over 20 years experience in the genealogy industry, Katherine is a valued member of our Private Client London team. She enjoys assisting our clients and the variety of cases which arise, and especially likes speaking with beneficiaries to resolve even the most challenging matters.

02073475140 Email Katherine Abel

Private Client Case Manager Katherine Abel

Katie joined Estate Research having worked in an administration and case management role for over 8 years. She is now enjoying assisting each of the Private Client Case Managers with a wide range of tasks, and loves the challenge that comes with each unique case she gets to work on.    

01942 826 500 Email Katie Hill

Private Client Team Administrator Katie Hill

Katie has been working as a probate genealogist since 2007. She enjoys the variety of the profession from the international research, travel and direct contact with beneficiaries to the satisfaction of reuniting long lost families.

Katie is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Katie Lowe

Senior Public Sector Case Manager Katie Lowe

After working in business support for 9 years at a well-known department store, Lauren joined our administration team before becoming a Case Manager. Now as a Senior Case Manager, Lauren enjoys the varied nature of the role and the ability to sit down and resolve issues.

Lauren is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Lauren Mitchell

Senior Public Sector Case Manager Lauren Mitchell

Lauren joined Estate Research in 2021 after graduating from Durham University with a First Class Honours Degree in History, Spanish and Italian. Having been passionate about family history and genealogy since she was a teenager, she loves the investigative challenge that comes with each unique case.

01942 826 500 Email Lauren Spowart

Public Sector Case Manager Lauren Spowart

Leanne has over 20 years’ experience working in administration across many sectors including contamination control, dental, CCTV drainage and scaffolding and now brings her experience to Estate Research to support the Private Client department.

01942 826 500 Email Leanne Liddle

Private Client Team Assistant Leanne Liddle

Liam joined Hammer Price Homes, having previously practised as a Chartered Landscape Architect for 13 years. During this time, he was involved in a wide range of projects, including leading on landscape design and construction projects, and managing and co-ordinating multi-disciplinary teams. Liam is now involved with the day-to-day operations associated with Hammer Price Homes online property auction.

020 3814 1888 Email Liam Gaskell

Operations Manager at Hammer Price Homes Liam Gaskell

Lisa joined Estate Research after spending several years working in the legal industry. She enjoys the diverse nature of this role, supporting the case managers, organising and performing administrative duties.

01942 826 500 Email Lisa Rignall

Private Client Services Manager Lisa Rignall

Louise joined Estate Research in 2021 after graduating from Edge Hill University achieving a first class honours Criminology and Sociology degree. Louise enjoyed the research side of her degree and is enthusiastic to transfer this to her role at Estate Research.

01942 826 500 Email Louise Ainscow

Private Client Case Manager Louise Ainscow

Before joining the Estate Research Private Client Team, Lucy graduated with a First-Class Masters degree in History from the University of Manchester following graduating from the University of Liverpool with a History with English Language degree. She enjoys the investigative side of genealogy, piecing together complex family histories and dynamics.

01942 826 500 Email Lucy Bath

Trainee Private Client Case Manager Lucy Bath

Marie-Clare joined Estate Research in 2024 after leaving her role as an Investigative Officer with Staffordshire Police. Before this, she completed her master's in Forensic Archaeology at the University of Bradford. She enjoys applying her attention to detail and an investigative eye to her research.

01942 826 500 Email Marie-Clare Gilbertson

Researcher Marie-Clare Gilbertson

With over 17 years experienced gained working in various Local Authorities, Mark joined Estate Research in 2023. Mark brings with him a wealth of experience in the management of appointee, Deputy and Section 46 cases, arranging funerals and dealing with estates.

01942 826 500 Email Mark Weyman

Lead Public Sector Manager - London Mark Weyman

Estate Research employed Martin as a regional agent over 15 years ago and he has subsequently successfully resolved hundreds of cases over the years; he still enjoys the variety of stories that the job brings.

Martin is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Martin Dutton

Senior Case Manager / Consultant Martin Dutton

Matthew graduated Sheffield Hallam university in 2019, with a BA (Hons) degree in Marketing. He recently joined our growing business development team, having previous experience in the Property Management and Health & Safety / HR sectors.

01942 826 500 Email Matthew Booth

Data Executive Matthew Booth

Matthew joined Estate Research in 2023 and is responsible for the financial side of the business. His previous experience involves working for an accountancy firm for over 13 years and gaining his ACCA and AAT qualifications during this period. He has also worked in the international finance department of well known sports-fashion global PLC organisation.

01942 826 500 Email Matthew Dalton

Finance Manager Matthew Dalton

Originally a genealogist with many years' experience in handling both low and high value estates, Matthew's role is to now act as the liaison and main point of contact between Estate Research and our clients - ensuring smooth service delivery.

01942 826 500 Email Matthew McLoughlin

Client Relationship Manager Matthew McLoughlin

Megan joined Estate Research in 2018 after graduating from the University of Liverpool with a First-Class Honours Degree in History. Working within our Public Sector department, Megan loves to mix with both colleagues and clients at conferences, training days and events.

01942 826 500 Email Megan Murphy

Lead Public Sector Manager - Head Office Megan Murphy

Mia joined us as a team assistant and has successfully progressed to a Case Assistant and now to her current role as Private Client Case Manager.  

01942 826 500 Email Mia Whittaker

Private Client Case Manager Mia Whittaker

Mike joined Hammer Price Homes in 2017 having spent over 10 years in the banking & finance sector working mainly for a large custodian bank and a banking software company.

01942 826 500 Email Michael James

Head of Operations at Hammer Price Homes Michael James

Michael previously spent 15 years working for a motor spare parts company, moving up to the role of Logistics Manager. He now enjoys supporting the finance team at Estate Research - assisting both the Private and Public Sector team.

01942 826 500 Email Michael McNally

Finance Assistant – Accounts Michael McNally

Michaela joined Estate Research as a Private Client Team Administrator, bringing over 20 years experience working in an administration capacity, from an administrator role through to team management, training, and consultancy. She has a background in company finance and an NVQ level 3 in Customer Service. Michaela has now moved into a new role, working in our Marketing and Project Team, heavily supporting and promoting our award winning Learning Hub.

01942 826 500 Email Michaela Cairns

Marketing and Project Manager Michaela Cairns

Nicola has a wealth of experience in office administration and front of house. After working at an accountants office for 30 years, Nicola relished the change to a new industry.

01942 826 500 Email Nicola Myerscough

Administration Manager Nicola Myerscough

Nicola studied Politics and Sociology at university. Following that she worked in local government (housing) for 22 years before joining Estate Research. Nicola enjoys genealogy research and helping families discover more about their own family history.

01942 826 500 Email Nicola Turner

Public Sector Case Manager Nicola Turner

Following her recent completion of her Masters degree in English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University, Olivia joined Estate Research in 2021 with an enthusiasm to transfer her critical and analytical mindset into the genealogy sector. She enjoys using her eye for detail to overcome challenges and finds reward in successfully completing a task from start to finish.

01942 826 500 Email Olivia Jewsbury

Private Client Case Manager Olivia Jewsbury

Paula has worked in law for over 30 years as a Legal Executive, mainly in Family Law but has also covered work in other departments.  Paula was at her last firm for 15 years which dealt with numerous areas of law including probate. Paula has decided to embrace a change.  She has always been interested in genealogy and has local knowledge of the firm.

01942 826 500 Email Paula Frazer

Public Sector Case Manager Paula Frazer

Rachel joined Estate Research after graduating with a First-Class Honours B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Archives and Records Management. Rachel combines her knowledge and experience working with archival material with her passion for genealogy to assist our Public Sector team.  

01942 826 500 Email Rachel Hart

Researcher Rachel Hart

Rebecca brings invaluable public sector knowledge to her role. She relishes the challenge of solving the more complex cases and the social aspect of welfare funeral work is particularly rewarding.

Rebecca is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Rebecca Hogan

Senior Public Sector Case Manager Rebecca Hogan

Rebecca joined Estate Research in 2019 after graduating from the University of Liverpool with a First Class Honours History Degree. She is a keen researcher and enjoys solving complex cases within our Private Client team.

A member of the Professional Paralegal Register

01942 826 500 Email Rebecca Penketh

Private Client Senior Case Manager Rebecca Penketh

Rebecca has worked at various Solicitors in Wills & Probate for the last 16 years, handling her own case load for the last 8 years.  She has completed her ILEX Level 3 in Wills and Succession and Probate Practice and brings this experience to her role as a Private Client Case Manager.

01942 826 500 Email Rebecca Scudamore

Private Client Case Manager Rebecca Scudamore

Richard recently joined Estate Research in the newly created role of Key Accounts Manager. Richard is a highly experienced business development and client relationship manager, having previously worked for blue chip and start-up companies in legal services and insurance across the UK.

01942 826500 Email Richard Garland

Private Client Key Account Manager Richard Garland

Having spent 18 years working within an administration environment across various industries, Sharon has joined the Private Client Team to support them with day to day tasks.

01942 826 500 Email Sharon Webster

Private Client Team Administrator Sharon Webster

Sharon joined Estate Research after working in the legal industry for almost 40 years.  She has extensive knowledge of the probate and conveyancing processes which will assist with genealogy cases.  Sharon has always been interested in ancestry and is looking forward to gaining experience in the genealogy field.  

01942 826 500 Email Sharon Wharton

Private Client Team Administrator Sharon Wharton

Simon has been working in probate genealogy since 2005 and joined our team in 2017. Simon’s particular expertise relate to estates that originate overseas, in particular those from the USA. Simon enjoys the challenges and intricacies of international research.

Simon is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Simon Mills

International Senior Case Manager Simon Mills

Before joining the Estate Research Public Sector team, Stewart was a historian whose M.A., Ph.D. and subsequent research focused on 18th-century British and European history. He enjoys utilising archival material and other sources to help people uncover their family’s past.

01942 826 500 Email Stewart Stansfield

Public Sector Case Manager Stewart Stansfield

A graduate of Manchester University Tom joined Estate Research after 10 years working in the retail sector. Having now been with the company for over 6 years, Tom has worked his way up from Researcher to Senior Private Client Manager. His experience and commitment to the role makes him a great team leader within the Private Client department.

Tom is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Tom Hutchings

Private Client Team Leader Tom Hutchings

Having graduated from the University of York with a First Class Honours Degree in History, Wesley spent 15 years as a school teacher before joining Estate Research.  Relishing the investigative challenge genealogy entails, he particularly enjoys archival research and relating family narratives to their historical context.

01942 826 500 Email Wesley Royle

Private Client Case Manager Wesley Royle

Having worked in the legal sector for 18 years Zoe was aware of the services genealogists provided. Bearing in mind that she has an innate passion for social history she didn’t hesitate to switch careers when the opportunity arose. She thoroughly enjoys the investigative nature of her job.

Zoe is a member of the Professional Paralegal Register.

01942 826 500 Email Zoe Heaton

Deputy Head of Private Client Zoe Heaton

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