Alan Kingshott – Roots & Branches

“Our pasts are very much in the present” says Alan in explanation of his new business. “When I was made redundant through ill health after 15 years of working for Michelin as a manager and auditor, I decided to turn my passion for Geneology into a business. ‘Roots and Branches’ is a service providing family tree and genealogy research; embracing the human touch of where we all come from.”

Plymouth born and bread, Alan had a career spanning over 28 years in the tyre trade. While recovering from several spine and shoulder operations following a car accident in 2005, Alan soon realised his health conditions was so severe that any chance of returning to his old job was out of the question.

“I was referred to Outset Plymouth by A4e Pathways in September 2010 where I met local business advisor Bridget Rice. I attended the Foundation and Business start-up courses for 15 weeks and found the whole experience very enjoyable. The Outset workshops provided valuable information on creating a business plan, financial planning and market planning, but crucially it enabled me to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.”

“People’s responses are always very emotional based on the information and research I find.  The records I compile of ancestors include; height, colour of hair and eyes, tattoos, and where family members travelled, both locally and all across the world. Other records include census reports identifying job roles, where individuals lived, and even down to how many children our ancestors had!”

“I have always been interested in family history. When I first started researching people’s backgrounds the internet was not a good resource for information so most of my research was gained from the local record office, churches, and one-to-one information from family members.

“My own family tree dates back to 1580! Through the process I discovered I have a famous relative (Babbacombe Lee) who was a convicted murderer. On the 23 February 1885, three attempts were made to carry out his execution at Exeter Prison, however, it all ended in failure, as the trapdoor of the scaffold failed to open despite being carefully tested by the executioner, James Berry, beforehand. As a result, Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. Lee was finally released in 1907 and became a national celebrity.”

Outset Plymouth has been funded by the ERDF Competitiveness and Employment programme, which invests in activities that will have a long-term impact on the growth and develop of the local economy.

For more information on Alan Kingshott please contact Outset Plymouth on 0800 028 5699