Titles available now (scroll down to see dates of the latest versions, and possible future topics)

• Researching Illegitimate Children
• Researching Mental Asylum Patients
• Family History for the Time Poor

You are welcome to check my genealogy credentials before you place an order.

You can pay by bank deposit/EFT as explained here, or you can use PayPal buttons below. After I receive notification of payment, I email the mini-guide as a PDF document (usually within 48 hours). It is your responsibility to watch for it to arrive in your Inbox *or* in folders marked Trash, Spam, Junk, Promotions etc.

WARNING!  Avoid giving me a Hotmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Live or MSN address (to which many emails are not delivered). You can ask for the mini-guide to be sent to a different email address (eg, Bigpond or Gmail).

'Researching Illegitimate Children'

• Describes dozens of sources, indexes and techniques that may reveal the name and other details of the father of an illegitimate child.
• Gives advice that applies to many areas, plus specific tips for Queensland.
• Lists 'recommended reading' (books and websites).
• Reveals some of my professional research tips and 'tricks of the trade'.
• Updated version, 13 Nov 2023 (4 pages; 2,370 words).
• Price: $4. My preferred payment method is EFT or bank deposit (see account details); or you can use this PayPal button:

'Researching Mental Asylum Patients'

• Describes most of the sixty series of records that I've used to research people of unsound mind (whether or not they were in a mental asylum). Some series also have superb information about patients' relatives.
• Advice and links for asylums in Australia (especially Queensland) and Britain.
• Explains how you can apply for access to some records that are not open to the public.
• Lists 'recommended reading' (books and websites).
• Reveals some of my professional research tips and 'tricks of the trade'.
• Updated version, 30 Nov 2023 (9 pages; 5,310 words).
• Price: $4.99. My preferred payment method is EFT or bank deposit (see account details); or you can use this PayPal button:

'Family History for the Time Poor'

• Most family historians, not just the 'time poor', will find this useful! Even when you have very little spare time, there are many simple ways to make progress with your family history, as explained in this mini-guide. Some of the suggestions are unusual, and lots of fun. Topics covered (with my personal tips, and links to recommended websites) include downloadable customised charts, forms and group sheets;  historical context (food, health, weather etc);  asking questions;  birthday headlines;  placename problems;  Dropbox;  finding new sources;  cheaper ways to get information;  backups and digitising;  reviewing certain items;  photographs;  handwriting;  nicknames;  research strategies; etc.
• Updated version, 19 Nov 2022 (6 pages; 2,240 words).
• Price: $3. My preferred payment method is EFT or bank deposit (see account details); or you can use this PayPal button:

Possible topics for future mini-guides:

• Scallywags and scoundrels: researching the 'black sheep' of the family
• How to find ancestors who moved or vanished
• Hospital and asylum records: what they reveal about patients' relatives
• Using Court records for family history
• How to find other people who are researching your family
• Look Beyond the Border! Archival records with data for interstate and overseas folk
• Using indexes: tips and traps
• Queensland genealogy: basic sources
• Queensland genealogy: sources for advanced research
• My source-based filing system for paper and digital records

Search this site  (do NOT use apostrophes; read search results page carefully)