Fourteen years ago, there was no Family Wise High Street office. No global team. No international reach.
There was simply a teacher with a dream, a new home in Calne, and a bold belief that she could build a people-finding and genealogy business from scratch.
Kirsty didn’t know a single person when she moved to Calne. A pin in the map marked a fresh start, personally and professionally. From her own home, she founded Family Wise, determined to connect families, trace rightful heirs and create something meaningful.
Today, that tiny acorn has grown into a thriving High Street business with a global footprint.
As Kirsty reflects:
“It’s hardly conceivable that I had this crazy idea of founding a new people-finding and genealogy company 14 years ago. A tiny acorn has grown from my own home to a High Street office premise with more staff than I would ever have dreamed of employing. I am so proud of how we have resiliently coped through a pandemic, the Government not publishing unclaimed estates for six months and many more changes in the industry. We are really looking forward to the next phase of business growth at Family Wise. Watch this space!”
From Spare Room to Six Continents
Over the past fourteen years, Family Wise has:
- Located beneficiaries in over 50 countries
- Passed more than £20 million to rightful heirs
- Distributed estate funds across six continents, including remote locations such as Saint Helena and regions near the Himalayas
- Grown from one original employee to a team of more than 40 worldwide
Behind every statistic is a real story. A letter that changes someone’s life. A branch of a family rediscovered. An inheritance that brings security and closure.
Investing in People
Some of our proudest achievements are closer to home.
Family Wise has employed more than 20 young people from the local community, many starting as work experience students or office juniors. Today, those individuals make up over 80% of our senior management team!
We believe in nurturing talent, building careers and creating opportunity. Through careful recruitment, strong leadership development and a supportive culture both in-office and remote, we have built more than a team. We have built a future.
Strong Through Change | Family Wise
Fourteen years have brought their challenges. Industry shifts, such as the removal of the BVD list. The COVID pandemic and the rapid move to remote working. A six-month pause in the publication of unclaimed estates.
Each moment tested us. Each one strengthened us.
Through it all, our commitment to honesty, transparency and ethical practice has never wavered. In probate genealogy, trust is everything, and it remains at the heart of Family Wise.
As Kirsty says:
“14 years in business! How time flies! Who would have thought that a teacher with a dream could build a career in genealogy and people finding and be so successful? Here’s to many more years ahead.”
Fourteen years is a milestone, but it is only the beginning.
If you are seeking expert, ethical support in probate research, get in touch with Family Wise today and let’s uncover what’s waiting to be found!
