Founder of Past Search Learning, author, researcher and tutor.

Gill Blanchard is an author, professional house historian, genealogist and tutor based in Norwich. Her academic background is in history, sociology (BA Hons.) and international relations (MA). She set up Past Search, her family history, house history and local history research business in 1997 after working in a local record office for six years and trained as an adult education tutor at the same time. She holds a second MA with Merit in Biography and Creative Non Fiction from the University of East Anglia. She has had several guides, local histories and biographies published and writes regularly for national genealogy magazines, along with specialising in producing family and house history books for clients. Gill is a full member of AGRA – the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives.

She is the author of several research guides, biographies and local histories published to date, with more on the way. These include Writing Your Family History, Tracing Your House History, Tracing Your Ancestors: Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Struggle and Suffrage in Norwich (Pen and Sword Books). I Therefore Post Him as a Coward: an anatomy of a scandal 1836 (Poppyland Publishing) and Lawson Lies Still in the Thames: The extraordinary life of Vice-Admiral Sir John Lawson (Amberley Publishing). Gill also a regular contributor to national family history magazines and other print and online publications. Full details of these books, including where to buy them, can be found on the books page of this site.

Gill has undertaken many research projects for authors, academics, journalists and television production teams, including the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? She appeared on the Mary Berry episode of this show in 2014 and the Jonnie Peacock episode in 2018. Among other organisations she has worked for are local architects, property developers and solicitors, hotels and pubs; tour companies, English Heritage; development companies, architects and The Times and Mail on Sunday newspapers.

She gives talks on a range of family history and house history courses locally, nationally, and online, including at the Society of Genealogists and Bury St. Edmunds Record Office. Past, present and future talks and courses include designing and running a two year post graduate certificate in genealogy at the University of East Anglia; to family and local history societies; record offices, museums and libraries countrywide; The Family History Shows; The Genealogy Show; Family Tree Show Live; Who Do You Think You Are? Live; Families in British India Society (FIBIS) conferences; the Guild of One Name Studies, the Society for One Place Studies, Norwich Heritage Open Days; the National Writers’ Centre; Deepings Literary Festival and the National Trust.

Mentoring

Gill offers personalised mentoring for family history, biography and other historical writing. This is available to anyone, not just students of the courses on this website, if you are interested in knowing more, please get in touch. It would be helpful if you briefly outline the sort of research and writing you are working on, or aiming to work on, in your email.

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