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The SDFHS Blog

Farewell to Eileen Holloway (1930-2017)

Posted on 2nd November 2017

Eileen has been a regular volunteer at our Family History Centre for some considerable time An experienced family historian she had fascinating stories to tell about her ancestor at the Crimea and another on the Oregon Trail She did things 'by the old school' methods and laughed at the mention of the word 'computer' It would have amused her greatly, had she known, that she would be the subject of a 'blog' It is hard to talk of Eileen in the past tense as she was so much a part of the... more

Going to School in the War Years

Posted on 30th September 2017

We are reminded that bombs were dropped over a wide area of Sherborne on 30 September 1940 with loss of life and widespread damage John Samuel Jackson of Milborne Port, a pupil at Foster's School remembers what it was like to be in school during the war years: I previously (1937-39) went to Stonegarth School, which was situated at the bottom of The Avenue in Sherborne The Headmistress was Miss Sparkes Having taken the Entrance Exam, I then started at Foster’s School in Hound Street in... more

Stories of Exeter’s War Hospitals 1914-1919

Posted on 19th September 2017

100 years ago, in 1917, you might have been Gunner John Parr, wounded in the third battle of Ypres during a heavy exchange of fire You've been given your initial medical care in the field and sent by train to the French coast Now you are in an ambulance train You've been sent home to 'Blighty' for further treatment It's early morning and as the train draws to a halt you look out of the window and see the sign 'EXETER' Two orderlies lift you down from the train on a stretcher and a doctor... more

The Greenwood Tree, September 2017

Posted on 23rd August 2017

The September issue of The Greenwood Tree will be appearing shortly, and SDFHS members can already download the PDF from the Members' Area of our website We have again preserved the colour content in the digital version, so it’s well worth having a look on-line, while you wait for your print copy to arrive I am pleased to introduce our prospective new Editor, Paul Radford (page 63), who will be editing the The Greenwood Tree from 2018 Paul is a retired journalist who spent more than 30 years... more

The Pageant’s Progress

Posted on 16th August 2017

It has been very pleasing to receive contact from others who have discovered that someone they may have further knowledge about, or who might have been a family member, took part in the Sherborne Pageant of 1905 Any discoveries, however small, are often met with wonder or surprise as a little chink of light is thrown onto someone from long ago and a photo is often the key Many of the old photos can be seen in the Sherborne School Archive Flickr collection There is absolutely nothing like a... more