James Tait:  PgCert Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies; MAAGRA

Researcher Type:  Record Agent

Biography:

Since January 2018, I have become captivated by genealogy after learning about fascinating family stories during a trip to Port Chalmers in Dunedin, New Zealand. This is what sparked my passion.

Genealogy perfectly fits both my interests and my skills.

I am interested in history, humanities, science, psychology, law, reading, and technology.

My skills are investigative research, tenacity, attention to detail, patience, determination, and an enjoyment of learning.

In September 2023 I was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic, and Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, which focused on Scottish and English records while teaching me the fundamentals of good genealogical research.

I am currently a volunteer for the National Library of New Zealand FamilySearch service, where I have worked since 2018.

Other volunteer roles I have been involved in are:

• A researcher for ‘The Fromelles Association of Australia’
• An audio transcriber for ‘Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank’
• A transcriber for historical projects on ‘Zooniverse’. These projects focused on the military, settlers’ lives, medieval Londoners, English wills from 1540 to 1790, and Australian criminals and involved England, Australia, and New Zealand.

I have been a member of the ‘New Zealand Society of Genealogy’ since 2019, and I have physical access to Wellington repositories such as ‘Archives, New Zealand,’ ‘National Library of New Zealand’, and ‘Wellington City Council Archives,’ as well as membership to online repositories such as ‘Ancestry’.

NZBN: TBA