Privacy Policy
Last updated: 6 October 2026
Barnes Blackburn is a trading name of Jonathan Barnes Blackburn.
Barnes Blackburn respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Jonathan Barnes Blackburn is the data controller responsible for personal information processed by Barnes Blackburn.
For any privacy-related enquiry, please contact:
Information We Collect
We may collect and process personal information in connection with website enquiries, research commissions and our research into the histories of collector motor vehicles.
This may include:
your name and contact details;
information contained in correspondence and enquiries;
details relating to a vehicle or research commission;
billing, transaction and administrative information;
information contained in historic vehicle records, correspondence, photographs and other documentation;
names and contact details of current or former vehicle owners, dealers, businesses and other individuals connected with a vehicle;
information concerning vehicle ownership, registration, sale and other relevant history;
photographs, recollections and other material supplied by clients, former owners or other sources; and
technical information relating to use of this website, such as IP address, browser or device information, pages visited and website activity.
We do not intentionally seek to collect personal information that is irrelevant to a research commission.
Where Information Comes From
Personal information may be obtained:
directly from you;
from clients commissioning research;
from current and former vehicle owners;
from motor traders, auction houses, clubs and other organisations;
from public bodies, registers and publicly available records;
from archives, publications, advertisements and historic documentation;
from publicly accessible online sources; and
from other individuals or organisations relevant to a vehicle's history.
The nature of provenance research means that Barnes Blackburn may sometimes obtain personal information about an individual from a source other than that individual.
How We Use Personal Information
We may use personal information to:
respond to enquiries;
provide quotations and discuss proposed commissions;
undertake and deliver commissioned research;
reconstruct vehicle ownership and provenance;
identify, trace or contact individuals who may hold information relevant to a vehicle's history;
authenticate, organise and preserve research material;
communicate with clients and other relevant individuals;
administer Barnes Blackburn and maintain appropriate business records;
comply with legal, tax and regulatory obligations;
protect the security and integrity of our website and systems; and
understand how visitors use this website.
Barnes Blackburn does not sell personal information.
Lawful Bases for Processing
Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, we may rely upon:
Contract — where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as responding to a request for a quotation, or to perform a research commission you have asked us to undertake.
Legitimate interests — where processing is reasonably necessary for the operation of Barnes Blackburn or for conducting legitimate vehicle-history and provenance research, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and interests of the individual concerned.
Our legitimate interests may include researching and documenting the history and provenance of collector motor vehicles, identifying and contacting people connected with a vehicle's history, maintaining appropriate records of research undertaken, responding to enquiries, and protecting our business and website.
Legal obligation — where processing is necessary to comply with an applicable legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirement.
Consent — where we specifically ask for consent, including where consent is required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.
The ICO requires organisations relying on legitimate interests to consider the purpose, necessity and effect on the individual, rather than treating legitimate interests as an unrestricted basis for processing. ICO
Former Owners and Other Individuals Identified Through Research
Vehicle-history research may involve identifying or contacting former owners and other individuals connected with a vehicle.
Where appropriate, Barnes Blackburn may process limited personal information for the legitimate purpose of establishing or documenting a vehicle's history.
We seek to use only information reasonably relevant to that purpose and to take account of the privacy interests of the individuals concerned.
Where Barnes Blackburn contacts an individual using information obtained from another source, we will provide or make available appropriate information about how their personal information is being used, unless an applicable legal exception applies.
Sharing Personal Information
We may share personal information where reasonably necessary with:
the client who commissioned the relevant research;
service providers supporting the operation of Barnes Blackburn, such as website hosting, email, data storage and administrative services;
professional advisers where necessary;
public authorities or regulators where required by law; and
other parties where disclosure is necessary for a legitimate research purpose and is lawful and proportionate.
We do not routinely disclose personal contact information of former owners publicly.
Information recovered during a research commission is not automatically published on the Barnes Blackburn website or social media. Any public presentation of commissioned work is considered separately.
Website Hosting and Analytics
This website is hosted by Squarespace.
Squarespace may process technical information relating to website visitors in order to host and securely operate the website.
Where permitted by your cookie preferences, analytics and performance technologies may also be used to help understand website traffic and activity.
Further information is available in our Cookie Policy.
Squarespace states that its analytics tools may process information concerning visitor activity and that its services may involve international processing, including processing in the United States. Squarespace Help
International Transfers
Some service providers used in operating Barnes Blackburn may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate legal mechanism or safeguard applies in accordance with UK data protection law.
Squarespace states that it uses recognised transfer mechanisms, including the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework where applicable. Squarespace
How Long We Keep Information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including the completion and administration of research commissions, maintaining appropriate research and business records, resolving disputes and complying with legal, accounting or tax obligations.
Retention periods vary according to the nature of the information.
Research material containing personal information may be retained where it continues to form a relevant part of a vehicle's provenance or the evidential record of research undertaken, provided continued retention is lawful and proportionate.
Information that is no longer reasonably required will be deleted, securely disposed of or anonymised where appropriate.
Security
We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
However, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Your Rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which your information is processed, UK data protection law may give you rights to:
request access to personal information held about you;
request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of your information;
request restriction of processing;
receive certain information in a portable format;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
You also have the right to object to processing of your personal information where we rely upon legitimate interests.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions or other legal requirements.
To exercise a right or ask how Barnes Blackburn uses your personal information, please contact:
The ICO requires the right to object to be brought clearly and separately to people's attention, which is why I would retain that bold standalone sentence. ICO
Automated Decision-Making
Barnes Blackburn does not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how Barnes Blackburn handles your personal information, please contact us first at:
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.
Changes to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to our activities, services or legal obligations.
The date at the top of this page indicates when it was most recently updated.