HOW TO FIND YOUR DETECTIVE ANCESTORS
It’s rather fitting, but nevertheless frustrating, that private detectives can be hard to trace. However, newspaper reports or, if you have a ‘Pro’ subscription, ). Many detectives had to advertise their services, particularly as the profession became more competitive, and their adverts tell you not only where they were based, and whether they moved over time, but also what areas of work they specialised in, whether they employed staff, and sometimes when they started their businesses. Divorce petitions may also mention the involvement of private detectives, and they pop up in trial reports, for example, on . Bankruptcy proceedings at The National Archives ( ) will also give details about agencies who sadly faced financial difficulties. Finally, Ancestry members can search the 689 trade and local directories available on the University of Leicester’s website Special Collections Online by occupation at .
