Pinpoint Ancestry is led by Kathryn Burtinshaw, a professional genealogist and author who has been researching family history for 40 years. Kathryn has great experience of all genealogical records, has specialist skills in transcribing nineteenth century documents and is experienced in oral history.

Kathryn qualified with a M.Sc. in Genealogy, Palaeography and Heraldry from The University of Strathclyde. She also holds the Advanced Diploma in Local History from Oxford University. She has held research positions in both Her Britannic Majesty’s Diplomatic and Crown Services.

Kathryn is a Genealogy Tutor at The University of Strathclyde, an Associate Member of the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) and also on the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG). Her regional expertise is in the North West of England and North Wales. She has connections with a network of professionally accredited genealogists throughout Britain who can access locally held documents for Pinpoint Ancestry.

Courses and qualifications
M.Sc. Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies (University of Strathclyde);
Advanced Diploma in Local History (University of Oxford);
Writing Family History (Open University).

Professional Associations
AGRA Associate;
Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (QG).

Sadly, Dr. John Burt who represented Pinpoint Ancestry in Scotland passed away in April 2021. John was a professional genealogist, researcher in archives, author and lecturer. With over 30 years’ experience as a medical practitioner, he had enjoyed a lifelong fascination for Scottish social history. John focused on Scottish Genealogy and had particular strengths in Fife, Forfarshire (Angus) and Aberdeenshire. John specialised in asylum, poor law, military and medical records. He also had a particular interest in WW1 records and First World War Memorials and regularly lectured on this topic.

Courses and qualifications
M.B., Ch.B. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) (University of Aberdeen), 1983.
Certificate in Archaeology (University of Edinburgh), 1995.
B.A. (Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Statistics) (Open University), 2009.
M.Sc. (Master of Science in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies) (University of Strathclyde), 2015.

Professional Associations
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (F.S.A.Scot), Elected 1991;
AGRA Associate;
Member on the Register of Qualified Genealogists (QG);
Scottish Genealogy Network.

The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives, AGRA, have approved an award in John’s name in recognition of his work.

https://www.agra.org.uk/news-dr-john-burt-bursary-2021-10-13

Kathryn and John jointly authored Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots: A History of Insanity in Nineteenth Century Britain, published by Pen & Sword in 2017, which was followed by Madness, Murder and Mayhem also published by Pen & Sword, in 2018.

Ethical Standards
Any personal information shared with Pinpoint Ancestry will be used solely for the purposes of conducting research on your behalf, communicating with you regarding your research and for purposes of our own record keeping. These details will not be shared with third parties.
Kathryn Burtinshaw is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Registration Number ZA136122). Dr. John Burt was registered as a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Registration Number Z3641044).