About Finding Families
Our business is based in England with our headquarters in Stockton on Tees, but our researchers live and work across the United Kingdom, and some are internationally based.
Meet The Team
Louise Baldock
Louise Baldock is our founder and manages the business. She has been a genealogist since 1983. She has a degree in Humanities where she majored in British social history, learning how our ancestors lived their lives in centuries gone by. This is a great help when making sense of our family histories. She is our expert on DNA detection and advises a number of high-profile clients. Her work regularly features on TV on programmes such as Long Lost Family, Born Without Trace , DNA Family Secrets and Who Do You Think You Are where she works as part of the team.
Nadine Ashcroft
Nadine Ashcroft has been practising genealogy since she studied family history with the Open University in 2006. She has a Certificate in DNA & Genetic Genealogy with distinction from the International Institute for Genealogical Studies. Nadine has also studied with the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) and the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). She specialises in English research and is currently studying for a PLCGS in English Records. She’s a professional transcription writer who brings great skills to our team.
David Walsh
David Walsh is a genealogist who first tracked down and met 4th cousins in Wales as a schoolboy. He specialises in the twentieth century, enjoying working with common names, conurbations and complex family structures. He is particularly interested in peoples’ lived experiences. He is often able to apply his problem-solving skills and life experience to interpreting complex DNA puzzles.
Clare Hardy
Clare Hardy developed an interest in genealogy 40 years ago whilst still at school, in response to a family mystery on her father’s side. Initially using hard-copy paper trails, her methodology evolved with technology, until DNA finally solved the case only a few years ago. Clare has a first-class honours degree in Humanities with Creative Writing from the Open University, and a background in graphic design. She is an author and contributor to several non-fiction books, and enjoys bringing her experience of using DNA to tackle problems that conventional research has failed to solve.
Leanne Marks
Leanne Marks has been working as a private genealogist for over 15 years, specialising in, but not limited to, Jewish genealogical research. She came to the job after researching her own family, with its roots in Eastern Europe, India and the Middle East. Alongside her husband, Saul, Leanne has also worked within the field of probate genealogy and now also has a number of DNA clients. With her varied skills, keen eye for detail, and a love of solving mysteries, Leanne is a welcome addition to our team.
Cheryl Oliver
Cheryl Oliver is a professional DNA genealogist who became interested in the subject at the age of 11. She has over 100,000 researched people on her personal family tree and uses this experience, combined with her skills and instinct honed from a career at New Scotland Yard, to solve family mysteries. Cheryl believes every family is interesting and everyone deserves to know their own roots.
Dan Stepel
Dan Stepel is a Jewish genealogist and historian with nearly 40 years of experience, based in the New York – New Jersey area. Trained in European history and library science at NYU, he also studied Holocaust records in Israel. Dan’s work blends scholarly research with personal stories passed down at Shabbos tables. “It’s what happens between the dashes that matters,” he says. For Dan, preserving those stories isn’t just about memory—it’s about connection. His mission is to ensure our ancestors are not forgotten but continue. (He is also Louise’s sixth cousin which is pretty amazing). It is great to have his expertise in the team.
Joanna Thompson
Joanna Thompson has been studying family history for twenty years and in the last year has started a genealogy course with the Institute Of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies, leading to a Higher Certificate in genealogy. She is an English teacher with a beautiful writing style which is a great benefit when bringing family histories to life for clients. Jo has a blog, the London Genie, promoting her excellent research into women working in Soho nightclubs in the last century. She is an heirloom hunter who regularly contributes articles to Who Do You Think You Are magazine.
Dario Regazzi
Dario Regazzi graduated with a Masters in Law from University College in Dublin. He started researching family history at the tender age of 8. Since solving his great great grandfather’s identity using DNA, he has become very keen to help other people solve their own DNA mysteries. He says “I have worked on cases for people from all over the world but many mysteries stem from my homeland of Ireland. No other country keeps secrets like the Irish!” We are delighted to be able to offer the services of a researcher based in Ireland.