Don't call it just a job

Genealogist and former senior police officer Alan Eadie explains how there is never just a normal day at his office.

“As a CID officer I was used to dealing with unusual cases,” he relates. “The same applies in our genealogy and tracing investigations, which can yield incredible stories.”

An example was an instruction from Macallans Solicitors in Glasgow with an unusual tracing request. They were concluding the estate of a local man. In 1964 he was in a relationship with a young woman in England, resulting in the birth of a baby girl. They were unable to raise a child at that time. A heartbreaking decision was taken to put the girl up for adoption.

The adoption took place and the child’s name was changed. The birth parents and their daughter always wondered what became of each other.

As their daughter told Eadie: “I searched on and off in the past for my birth parents but was unsuccessful. I always thought on my birthday, that maybe someone out there was thinking of me and I felt very sad for them.”

The birth father never forgot that somewhere he had a daughter and left a large portion of his estate in his will to her. He passed away recently.

Anne Murphy of Macallans explains: “This case was challenging as we had limited details. We instructed Eadie Corporate Solutions to find the beneficiary as there was a substantial amount due to her.”

Trail to Australia

The investigation began. As well as researching, Eadie’s firm like to interview people. They view living testimony as the foundation of a solid investigation. In this case, they felt that the birth mother was crucial to the case.

Extensive research was conducted to trace the birth mother, who was eventually found. A sensitively conducted interview revealed important information surrounding the adoption and her personal recollections proved invaluable.

Eadie goes on: “We then utilised a Government-approved adoption agency, as only they have access to relevant information. However, what we had found really teed things up.”

The result came back with the current name of the birth daughter, and Eadie set to work again. Using all of the research tools at his disposal he tracked her to Australia and wrote to her.

“Hearing from Alan was such a wonderful surprise,” the birth daughter explains further. “It was, however, sad as my birth father had passed away, but incredible that he had remembered me in his will. I now know that my birth father had never forgotten me. It makes me feel really special and loved.”

You might think the investigation was complete. However, at interview the traced woman and her birth mother shared a wish to make contact, which Eadie duly facilitated. He comments: “It’s not just about getting the job completed. We will always go further.”

Both women are now in regular contact and the daughter is travelling to visit her birth mother and other family this summer.

Anne Murphy of Macallans concludes: “We were delighted that Alan was able to trace the beneficiary, as we were aware of the challenges he faced.”

The birth mother sent a thank you card to Eadie, which contained the following words: “I can’t explain how much it means that she [her birth daughter] is in my life after all these years, and it is all thanks to you.”