Q. How quickly would you be able to report on any searches I may request?

A. I am especially pleased when I am able to make use of my own indexes and other material here, and I am usually able to report on any such searches within one month of receiving a request (and often much more quickly than that). Searches elsewhere invariably take longer to complete; I do though do my best to report on all searches within three months of receiving requests.

Q. How do you usually correspond with clients?

A. For convenience, speed and economy, I prefer to correspond by email wherever possible, sending reports as attachments, in the form of Word documents. Photocopies and certificates etc will normally be sent by post and the postage charged at cost (unless a scanned image, sent by email, is acceptable - this may actually be preferable in some cases, for instance where it would save on overseas postage).

Q. I would prefer to have reports sent by post - is this possible?

A. Yes, simply let me know and I will of course correspond by conventional mail, in which case I charge for postage at cost, unless an SAE or IRCs are provided.

Q. Why can you not simply supply printouts from your indexes, for instance of all entries for a surname?

A. This is not possible because, having been started in 1976, all my own indexes are card indexes and not computerised.

Q. Why do you not provide full coverage lists for your general or Nonconformist indexes?

A. In view of the nature of these two smaller indexes, with odd entries from a variety of sources, it is not practicable to produce full coverage lists for them. However, I can if required send descriptive notes on the Nonconformist index (rather fuller than those available on my website), preferably as an email attachment (Word document).

Q. I may find in the future that I need a copy of a report or other item which you have already supplied. Would you be able to provide this and, if so, how can I be sure that any personal or other details I have provided, or which you have discovered on my behalf, will remain safe and secure?

A. I do permanently store electronic copies of incoming and outgoing emails and attachments (including my reports and correspondence), in addition to printing out hard copies in most cases. Please advise me if you do not wish me to retain electronic copies of any correspondence we may enter into, or of any reports which I may send you, in this way. However, it has indeed quite often proved helpful to clients that I have been able to provide to them, as effectively "backup" data, electronic copies of reports which I have sent to them in the past. I do not charge for this service, nor for storing data indefinitely in this way. In order to preserve the integrity and security of the data, such archived files are never kept on my computer or on any network, but only in external storage. They are also backed up very regularly.

Matthew Copus
307 Dale Street
Chatham
Kent ME4 6QR

Email: info@mcopus.co.uk
Web Site: www.mcopus.co.uk