Privacy notice

This privacy notice explains what information this website collects, how it is used and the choices you have. Last updated 6 November 2026.

Who runs this site

This website is a personal family history written and published by Paul Wesemann (“I”, “me”). It is not a business. It sells nothing, carries no advertising and has no commercial purpose. You can reach me through the contact form; I do not publish an email address, to keep spam down.

The short version

• You can read the whole site without giving any personal information.
• There are no accounts, no sign-in and no newsletter.
• Visitor statistics are collected only if you agree.
• No one’s information is ever sold, rented, traded or used for any business or marketing purpose.

Information collected when you visit

The site is hosted by Cloudflare. Like any web host, Cloudflare receives the technical details your browser sends when it asks for a page, such as your IP address, browser type and the page requested. Cloudflare uses this to deliver the site and to protect it from attacks. I do not use this information to identify visitors.

The site’s fonts and search run from the site itself. The event map in Resources shows map images from OpenStreetMap: when you open the map, your browser fetches those images from OpenStreetMap’s servers, which receive your IP address as any website does, and OpenStreetMap’s own privacy policy applies. Pages do not load material from other companies, apart from the services named in this notice.

Visitor statistics (Google Analytics)

If you choose “Accept” in the cookie banner, the site loads Google Analytics, a service of Google LLC. It counts visits and records, in summary form, the pages viewed, how visitors arrived, the type of device and browser, and an approximate location at the level of a city or region. Google Analytics sets cookies on your device for this. I use these statistics only to see which pages are read and to improve the site.

If you choose “Decline”, or make no choice, Google Analytics is not loaded and no analytics cookies are set. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, the site treats it as “Decline”. You can change your choice at any time with “Cookie settings” at the foot of every page. Google’s handling of this information is described in Google’s own privacy policy.

Settings stored on your own device

The site remembers a few settings in your browser’s storage so that it works the way you left it: your text size, light or dark mode, which pages you have read, your cookie choice, and any ancestor you choose with “This is my ancestor”. These stay on your device. They are not sent to me or to anyone else, and you can clear them at any time by clearing your browser’s site data.

When you contact me

The contact form sends your name, email address, message and the page you mention to my email inbox. Before a message is sent, Cloudflare Turnstile checks that it comes from a person and not an automated program; Turnstile looks at technical details of your browser for this and does not set advertising cookies. The message is then delivered to my inbox by Resend, an email delivery service, which handles it only to deliver it. I use what you send only to read and answer your message, and to act on any request you make. I do not add you to any list, and I delete your message if you ask me to.

What I never do

• I never sell, rent or trade anyone’s information.
• I never use anyone’s information for advertising, marketing, profiling or any business purpose.
• I never share it with anyone, except the service providers named in this notice, who handle it only to run the site, or where the law requires it.

People in the family history

The family history names people who have died, using church registers, civil records, censuses, newspapers and family papers. The site is built to leave out anyone who may be living: anyone born in 1977 or later, and anyone born from 1927 to 1976 whose death is not confirmed. If you find a living person named here, or a detail that should not be public, please see the removal requests page.

Your choices and rights

Wherever you live, you may ask me what information I hold about you, ask me to correct it or delete it, and withdraw your consent to visitor statistics. Write to me through the contact form. If you live in the European Union, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you also have rights under data-protection law, including the right to complain to your data-protection authority. Visitor statistics rely on your consent; replying to a message relies on your request; keeping the site secure relies on a legitimate interest in running it safely.

Where information is handled

The site is run from the United States, and Cloudflare and Google may handle information in the United States and other countries. Both state that they use recognized safeguards for transfers of personal data from Europe.

Children

This site is written for a general audience and is not directed at children. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has sent me information, please tell me and I will delete it.

Changes to this notice

If I change how the site handles information, I will update this notice and the date at the top.

Questions

Questions about this notice, or about any information I hold, are welcome through the contact form.