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Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society
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Welcome to the SDFHS

How can we help you? We will help you to find documented facts about the lives of your former family members which will unlock doors to your own personal family story. Although we do specialise in Somerset and Dorset and have extensive records from our two counties, our experienced Research Volunteers have skills which can help you trace your family roots, regardless of where they might have originated.

SDFHS Family History Centre

Our Family History Centre in Yeovil is closed to members and other visitors due to the pandemic, but our Research Volunteers are working from home and our online bookshop is open for publication orders by post.

Online Talks

Online talks are being hosted by some of our local Groups, giving us the opportunity to engage with our members and the family history community worldwide.

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Latest Blog Posts

The Greenwood Tree – June 2021

The front cover of the June edition of The Greenwood Tree shows a 19th century painting of a lawyer’s office to illustrate the theme of Wills. The caption “Where There’s a Will … There’s a Won’t”, suggests that some of…..

Victorian Utilities

Under the Floorboards at Beaucroft House, Wimborne. Following on from the House Histories Edition of the March 2021 Greenwood Tree Magazine and subsequent blog about the Victorian Loo, I would like to expand a little further. When the family moved…..

‘Chilliswood’ Connection

Your recent feature on house histories in The Greenwood Tree reminded me that amongst my grandfather’s (Leonard Guy Bradfield) possessions was a set of 1913 auction particulars for ‘Chilliswood’, a residential estate in Trull, near Taunton in Somerset. I often…..

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

June 10th, 9:34 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
🔔 Member benefit 🔔 On our website there is now a fully searchable database of apprentice records relating to Somerset and Dorset in the 16th-18th centuries. There is a basic search available to all here, but more details, accessible only to SDFHS members, can be found by using the search in the Members' Area ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

June 3rd, 2:19 pm

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Can you help Michael Pitfield? He posted this in our group & has agreed for me to post it here:TITANTIC CREWNext year is the 110th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic.I’m researching a blog that I hope will be published on the Society’s website in April. One of my family sadly did not survive the loss of the ship.Do any other members have ancestors/kin who were on the Titanic when it sank? (Victims or survivors)I am only interested in CREW members (not passengers) who were from DORSET.Thank you. ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

June 2nd, 8:22 pm

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Volunteers make such a huge contribution to family historyPeter has been volunteering for the research team here at The Keep for about eight years now, having been invited in by his son-in-law who used to look after the weapons. Peter had no Army background, having completed his National Service in the Navy; his interest in military history developed as he began completing research tasks. Since then he has become our Devon Regiment specialist and has produced the ‘Brief History’ series of booklets about the battalions available in our shop. #thankyou #volunteer #museumvolunteer #militaryhistory #volunteerlife #volunteersweek2021 ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

May 19th, 11:37 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
From Wells & Mendip Museum:Opening on 5th June, Wells Museum is hosting an important new exhibition, which, through an exceptional series of photographs and artefacts tells the story of “The Asylum for the Lunatic Poor”, established outside Wells in the 1840s. The asylum’s patients, whose lives are vividly re-created in these never previously seen photographs, were referred there from the workhouse, the police courts, and desperate families. They were paupers, and they were ‘lunatics’ - the most deprived members of society. This exhibition has been curated to highlight the lives of the 3000+ patients and staff that were involved in the Asylum during its 70 year history. It is a story of compassion, deep respect for each individual, and ground-breaking medical and psychiatric care. The lives and histories of many Asylum residents were effectively 'forgotten' until this project was undertaken; this exhibition may prove a fascinating and useful resource for family history research.Contact: www.wellsmuseum.org.uk/ or telephone the museum on 01749 673477, for exhibition opening timesExhibition Dates: 5th June 2021 - 10th July 2021Location: Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells, BA5 2EU ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

May 16th, 9:46 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Daniel’s interviews are brilliant, next one is with Myko Clelland of Findmypast. You can catch up with his previous interviews on his YouTube channel ... See MoreSee Less

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Recent Twitter

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PostedInThePast#PostedInThePast | Helen Baggott@PostedInThePast·
June 15th, 5:59 am

I'm still hoping I will be able to visit South Petherton for a talk later in the summer. According to Google, the railings have gone from the front of this property in the village which is now Grade II* Listed.

#PostedInThePast
#TalkingAboutPostcards and #Genealogy

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somerset_womenIntrepid Women of Somerset@somerset_women·
June 13th, 7:56 pm

Female #churchwardens were rare in Medieval times but not unheard of in #Somerset. One early example is Sibyl Smith in 1547 at St Margaret's church in #Tintinhull.

#SomersetSunday #church #historicalwomen #womeninhistory

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somerset_womenIntrepid Women of Somerset@somerset_women·
June 10th, 10:09 am

#TodayILearnt that Anne Boleyn's great-great uncle is buried in #WellsCathedral and has an elaborate tomb there.

Thomas Boleyn was a priest who become the sub-dean of #Wells.

Source: https://archive.org/details/biographicalhist03vennuoft/page/18/mode/2up

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UkNatArchivesThe National Archives@UkNatArchives·
June 14th, 4:35 pm

If you’re already bored of watching football, why not seek some solace and subscribe to our YouTube channel?

We’ve lots of great content already and can guarantee it’ll keep getting better 😊

https://youtube.com/c/TheNationalArchivesUK

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