Meet our Members: Alan Purchase

+28 votes
610 views

Hi everyone!

500px-Meet_our_Members_Photos-37.pngIt's time to get to know another one of our wonderful WikiTreers. This week's member is Alan Purchase.

Alan became a Wiki Genealogist in September 2019. He is one of our Data Doctors and is active in our England Project.

When did you get interested in genealogy?

My first foray into genealogy was about 15 years ago when I was living in Auckland, New Zealand. Unfortunately, my IT Support job got in the way and I had to suspend work on my family tree. Fast forward to October 2017 when my wife and I moved back to England to look after her mother and shortly after we returned I retired after 49 years in IT. Suddenly I had time to spare so I restarted work on my family tree.

What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?

I am a big fan of real ale and am currently Secretary of the Salisbury & South Wiltshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). After living in New Zealand for 29 years it has been a joy reacquainting myself with proper beer. 

What is your research focus?

Initially I researched as far back as I could but encountered a lot of brick walls so I changed tack and concentrated of widening my family tree. Recently I have changed tack again and my focus is on my core family tree. In particular I am trying to resolve these annoying brick walls and to update the ‘modern’ part of my tree so it is more relevant to the younger members of my family.

Are you are interested in certain surnames or locations?

I am particularly interested in the New Forest in Hampshire where my mother’s maternal family is from. The surnames include Lemmon, Stote, Newbolt, Broomfield and Veal. 

Do you have a favorite ancestor?

My favourite ancestor is my mother’s grandfather Obadiah Orange Lemmon who was born into a family of blacksmiths in the New Forest but  decided he wanted to go to sea. He moved to Portsmouth in Hampshire and  became a Ship’s Master at the age of 35. Apparently he was well respected in the  town. 

What is your toughest brick wall currently?

My toughest brick wall is my paternal grandfather John William Purchase who, I discovered, was born a Trattle not a Purchase. I have a copy of his birth certificate that states his father is John William Trattle, but I have been unable to trace him. To try and resolve this I took a DNA test at FTDNA but DNA only helps if  you can find a relative that will also take a test. No luck so far in this regard but  the DNA test has been well worthwhile as it has connected me to several relatives and resolved one of my other tricky brick walls.

(interview continues in comments)

WikiTree profile: Alan Purchase
in The Tree House by Eowyn Walker G2G Astronaut (2.4m points)

How long have you been on WikiTree and why did you get involved?

I joined WikiTree in September 2019 and was quickly impressed by the highly active and supportive community and the focus on fixing issues. I joined the England Project in July 2020, completed OT1 under the expert guidance of Jo Fitz Henry and joined the Hampshire Team.

After spending a lot of time growing my family tree I decided to ‘give something back’ and in October 2021 I became a Data Doctor. Data integrity is very important to me so it seemed to be the best team to join.

In December last year I decided to join the Wiltshire Team, as I live in the county, and in February this year I took on the vacant Wiltshire Team Leader role. Every year I am a member of WikiTree feels better than the previous one. Long may that continue.

What do you spend the most time doing here?

My time is split between my family tree and the projects and teams I am involved  with, plus the occasional blitz on a challenge.

Which projects are you most involved in?

I am a member of the Data Doctors Project and the England Project where I am a  member of the Hampshire team and Team Leader of the Wiltshire team. 

We need more active members to join the projects as there are still a lot of data issues that need fixing. 

What inspires you to contribute so much? Do you  consider your work here to be part of your legacy?

I am a proponent of open and free software and have been using Linux as my computer operating system of choice for over 20 years so joining WikiTree was a no-brainer. 

Of course it is part of my legacy and I hope my work will be continued by one of  the younger members of my family. 

What is your favorite feature or function on WikiTree?

I love the browser extension. I use Vivaldi and it looks very good and adds a new dimension to the WikiTree website. 

Also, I like the ‘one global tree’ approach. The only way to go IMHO.

Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get more involved?

Don’t think about it just do it. There are many different teams you can join so there is something for everyone. You will learn a lot and get a lot of satisfaction from being involved.

Great and very interesting interview Alan, your tip on becoming more involved is spot on

Malc
Congratulations to Alan for his selection and to Eowyn for selecting him for Meet our Members. As some of you may know, I am interested in the Bahamas genealogy and lately, I have worked on English profiles as well.

One name that caught my eye is "Newbolt." My question for Alan is do you think that Newbold is a variation of Newbolt? I have found Newbold cousins and Newbold descendants who were living in the Bahamas.
Nice to read more about you Alan. You and I are 4c2r via the Bexells. I've only recently joined wikitree.

I now live in Cumbria and often walk near Loweswater so it's nice to se you've flagged it up on your webspace as a place you love !!

5 Answers

+8 votes
Lovely interview and great to have you leading the Wiltshire team! - I'm currently working my way through the "Unsourced" :)
by Gill Whitehouse G2G6 Pilot (106k points)
+6 votes
Good interview, Alan! My Hill ancestors were also from Hampshire; and the 15 degrees of connection between you and me goes through two Veal sisters.
by Richard Hill G2G6 Mach 9 (92.6k points)
+5 votes
Fun read!  Especially the section about proper beer!  That’s something I should study more!
by Bartley McRorie G2G6 Pilot (162k points)
+2 votes

Alan, Thank you for sharing!  

You said: After living in New Zealand for 29 years it has been a joy reacquainting myself with proper beer.  

I always thought my Budweiser was missing something, and now, because of your insights, I'm begging to see the "LIGHT" (not Bud Light)devil

Great Story!  I award you the BSE (best story ever) Badge  (WikiTree hasn't made this badge yet so this will just have to do for now)wink

by David Draper G2G Astronaut (3.2m points)
+2 votes
Great to get to know you Alan.  I'm also a big fan of "real ale".

Thanks for all that you do with the England Project and of course with Data Doctors.
by Brad Cunningham G2G6 Pilot (188k points)

Related questions

+12 votes
1 answer
76 views asked Mar 13, 2023 in Appreciation by Marion Ceruti G2G6 Pilot (351k points)
+41 votes
18 answers
+1 vote
0 answers
116 views asked May 30, 2022 in Genealogy Help by James Wyatt G2G Rookie (250 points)
+1 vote
0 answers
57 views asked May 20, 2021 in Genealogy Help by Beryl Meehan G2G6 Mach 4 (40.5k points)
+40 votes
8 answers
+30 votes
6 answers
+24 votes
2 answers
+40 votes
12 answers

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...