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The SDFHS Blog

The Curious Case of Henry Evelyn Pitfield Sturt

Posted on 4th July 2020

Often family tree research reveals fascinating and sometimes puzzling stories A good example is the history of Henry Evelyn Pitfield STURT Henry was the youngest son of Humphrey Sturt MP (1724-1786) and Mary PITFIELD (1740-1807), an immensely rich couple Humphrey owed his wealth to his grandfather Sir Anthony Sturt who had been a successful businessman in the City of London Through his mother Humphrey inherited the Moor Crichel estate in Dorset He served as MP for Dorset from 1754 to 1784 Mary... more

From Shaftesbury to New Zealand Part 2

Posted on 18th June 2020

Mrs Ngaire Greger shares part two of the story of one of her great grandfathers After the two Brickell boys - John and Robert - left the armed constabulary, in about 1869, they lived in the Napier area with their wives and children On 14 May 1874 John, then aged 27, died while crossing a swollen river on his horse He was a roading contractor He left a wife and three daughters Robert Bennett Brickell After leaving the Armed Constabulary Robert farmed He and his family lived in... more

The King’s Mercy

Posted on 2nd June 2020

Following King George III’s first period of mental instability in 1789, his doctors advocated the benefits of sea air, sea-bathing, and sea-water drinking to alleviate his symptoms As the King’s brother, the Duke of Gloucester, owned a property in Weymouth The town was chosen for the King’s recuperation The first visit was successful and George, with other members of his family, became regular visitors until 1805 While the royal vacations were largely limited to Weymouth, the family... more

The Greenwood Tree – June 2020

Posted on 21st May 2020

Emigration to the New World proved to be the most popular theme for The Greenwood Tree in memory as members sent in a record number of contributions for the June edition Editor Paul Radford previews the special edition which has four extra pages and which will be mailed to members at the end of May and which SDFHS members can already view or download from the Members Area of the Society’s website Donna Heys with ancestral graves Quantity and quality do not always go hand... more

From Shaftesbury to Auckland New Zealand Part 1

Posted on 13th May 2020

Mrs Ngaire Greger has recently joined the Society from her home in New Zealand, and here she shares part one of a story about one of her Great Grandfathers Part two is to follow On 21 September 1863 the ship Annie Wilson arrived in Auckland, New Zealand On board were two young brothers One was John Bennett Brickell aged 16, and the other was Robert Bennett Brickell aged 15 They had come from Shaftesbury, Dorset, England My Grandmother said that Robert had been educated for the Bank... more

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