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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

Broadway House Family History Centre, our home in Yeovil, is an ideal location in the centre of the town.

Centre Information

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.

Online Talks

Visit Our Shop

Are you looking for family history publications? Why not try looking in our on-line shop. We have a wide range of books and CDs relating to both Somerset and Dorset, as well as more general family-history and local-history publications.

AGM and Open Day

SDFHS AGM & Open Day 2023Download

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Latest Blog Posts

The Greenwood Tree – September 2023

The theme of the September issue of The Greenwood Tree is Unusual Names and Places. Editor Paul Radford previews the edition which will be mailed to members at the end of August and which SDFHS members can already view or…..

The Greenwood Tree – June 2023

The theme of the June issue of The Greenwood Tree was Poor Relations – The Struggle to Make Ends Meet. Editor Paul Radford previews the edition which will be mailed to members at the end of May and which SDFHS…..

Snapshots in Time – (second in series)

In the first article in this series we looked at some of the old photographs likely taken by Adam Gosney and collected together by George King (1859-1932), Sherborne Abbey Verger from 1892 until 1929. George lectured on Sherborne and Sherborne…..

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

October 2nd, 7:42 pm

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Tomorrow volunteers will be spending the day at the cemetery chapel taking down the current exhibition in preparation for some work to be done inside the building over the winter ready for a new exhibition and a better space in which to display it.The electric supply and lighting needs addressing, the flagstone floor needs attention, the storage needs re thinking.The garden volunteers will continue over the closed season to tackle the three acres and all the associated hard work that goes with that. Strimming, mowing, pruning, planting, weeding and a vast array of other tasks.We receive no other funding apart from visitor donations and due to the slightly variable weather this summer we have had sad days when it was too wet and blowy for anyone to come.It is our 150th commemoration next year which we want to share this with you to say "Thank you" for your continued support of this special site.We have set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise the necessary funds to cover these improvements and would ask if you could donate any amount to help us. The site, I believe, can cope with any currency and there is a Gift Aid option. www.gofundme.com/f/the-friends-of-mendip-hospital-cemetery We would be extremely grateful if you could help us in any way.Meanwhile the research goes on to uncover more asylum history, patient stories and we will be regularly posting new patient stories over the closed period and keep you up to date with the chapel work.Thank you all for your support and positive comments over the past year. The volunteers work so hard and are so dedicated and it is lovely to share with them your feedback.Photograph: Mark Witcombe, Section D 264 our most visited resident. South West Heritage Trust.www.gofundme.com/f/the-friends-of-mendip-hospital-cemetery ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

September 16th, 9:30 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Hear all about the New Museum coming to Street. BBC Radio Somerset Charlie Taylor interviewed Rosie Martin our Director earlier this week 👂👂👂...#newmuseuminsomerset #bbcradiosomerset #charlietaylor #BreakfastShow #ListenAgain www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gdcfd6 ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

September 12th, 7:54 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
If old maps are your thing, this is a great opportunity to learn about their history and what they can tell us about the history of our part of Somerset. The Society is delighted that Adrian, a leading expert on the subject, has agreed to give what is guaranteed to be a revealing and fascinating talk. ... See MoreSee Less

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Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

September 9th, 9:53 am

Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
The Alfred Gillett Trust are open today and tomorrow under the Heritage Open Days scheme ... See MoreSee Less
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