Whenever I meet someone for the first time and they ask what I do, I always say ‘I’m an Heir Hunter‘ and then leave a long pause for the penny to drop. No, not the air we breathe…..! Once the connection has been made, the next comment is usually to tell me that my job is ‘fascinating‘ for nigh on everyone I talk to. And I can’t say that I disagree.
Fascinating as no two days are the same. Fascinating as each case we work on is different and throws up new challenges. Fascinating as we ‘meet’ so many people with amazing stories to share. But more than anything, this job is rewarding. Putting families back in touch with one another. Putting money back into the right hands.
Regular readers will know that I have not always been an Heir Hunter. Rarely do you hear of people who hold the same job for their entire career nowadays. Have I always been interested in the past? Yes…. but not in the history topics they taught in school. So, I dropped GCSE History in favour of GCSE Geography. Do I regret that decision? Not really….
What made me become a teacher? I worked with children and adults with learning difficulties and those in mental health care in years gone by. I am a people person. Brought up with jigsaw puzzles as a child, the greatest jigsaw in the world – my family tree – was an ideal opportunity to build my own puzzle from scratch. A few pieces in the wrong place over the years and I still haven’t found the edge pieces, but I love finding out about the past.
Being a family, local and social historian allows me to combine my problem solving and people skills in order to pass that love on to others in a really positive way. And Heir Hunting comes with money attached for clients. What more could you want? A family tree and money too! With no outlay to the client…. win win!
