What information we collect, use, and why

We collect or use the following information to provide and improve products and services for clients:

• Names and contact details

• Addresses

• Occupation

• Date of birth

• Third party information (such as family members or other relevant parties)

• Payment details (including card or bank information for transfers and direct debits)

We collect or use the following personal information for information updates or marketing purposes:

• Names and contact details

We collect or use the following personal information for research or archiving purposes:

• Names and contact details

We also collect or use the following information for research or archiving purposes:

• Genetic information

We collect or use the following personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:

• Names and contact details

• Payment details

• Account information

• Purchase or service history

We also collect or use the following information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:

• Genetic information

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are in brief set out below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

• Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. You can read more about this right here.

• Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can read more about this right here.

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to provide and improve products and services for clients are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

• Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:

• We collect and use personal information where it is necessary to provide and improve our products and services for clients. This includes using information to respond to enquiries, carry out the services we’ve been asked to provide, and refine our research methods and customer experience over time. Our legitimate interest lies in being able to deliver a professional, reliable service that meets our clients’ expectations. The use of personal data is essential to ensure the accuracy, relevance, and quality of our work. Without it, we would be unable to provide the level of service our clients expect. We believe the benefit of collecting and using this information outweighs any potential risk or impact on individuals. We only collect the information we genuinely need, and always handle it with care and respect. Our processes are designed to minimise any intrusion, and we regularly review our practices to ensure they remain fair, necessary, and proportionate.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for information updates or marketing purposes are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

• Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:

• We may collect and use personal information to share occasional updates about our services, offers, or news that we believe may be of genuine interest to our clients. Our legitimate interest is to keep clients informed about relevant developments and to maintain an ongoing relationship beyond the initial service. These updates help clients make informed decisions about future research opportunities, benefit from seasonal offers, and stay connected with our latest work. We believe this is a helpful and reasonable use of personal data, particularly where someone has already expressed interest in our services. We take care to ensure that our messages are infrequent, relevant, and never intrusive. The impact on individuals is minimal, and we always offer the option to unsubscribe at any time. We do not sell or share personal information for marketing purposes, and we never send marketing communications without a clear basis for doing so. This use of personal information is balanced and respectful, and we regularly review our approach to ensure it remains fair and appropriate.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for research or archiving purposes:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

• Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:

• We may collect and use personal information for research or archiving purposes, particularly when compiling historical records, case studies, or examples that help us better understand patterns in our work and improve the quality of our research. Our legitimate interest lies in preserving and learning from the work we’ve carried out, especially where it contributes to broader knowledge about family or house histories. This can include keeping anonymised examples for training, reference, or to inform future research methods. The benefit of this approach is that it supports long-term learning and consistency in the services we provide. We only retain the information that is genuinely useful, and we take steps to limit any impact on individuals by anonymising or limiting access to this data where possible. We believe this is a fair and proportionate use of information, with minimal risk to the people involved. As always, we treat all personal data with care, and any archiving is done securely and in line with data protection standards.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

• Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:

• We collect and use personal information where necessary to handle queries, complaints, or claims. Our legitimate interest is to ensure we can respond clearly, fairly, and efficiently when someone contacts us with a concern or request for support. This allows us to understand what has happened, take appropriate action, and, where needed, keep a clear record of our communications. It also helps us identify areas where we can improve our service and ensure we’re meeting the needs and expectations of our clients. We believe this use of personal information is essential to maintaining trust and accountability. The impact on individuals is limited, and we only use the information that is directly relevant to the issue raised. All records are handled sensitively and kept securely. This is a necessary part of delivering a professional service, and we take care to ensure that individuals’ rights are respected throughout the process.

Where we get personal information from

• Directly from you

• Publicly available sources

How long we keep information