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The SDFHS Blog

Two men with multiple ‘marriages’

Posted on 7th February 2016

I suspect that many family historians who run into a ‘brick wall’ when trying to pin down an ancestor do the same thing as I do and try to ‘sneak up’ on them by looking at other people with the same surname in the same area at the same time, in the hope of being able to connect to the right family Doing this for one of my GGGGG Grandmothers, Jane Storrow/Starrow, meant that my research wandered off at a tangent and I started investigating the marriages of a man whose gravestone lists... more

‘The Greenwood Tree’ – February 2016

Posted on 28th January 2016

The February 2016 edition of The Greenwood Tree is now being mailed to members and the Editor, Bob Barber, gives a preview of its contents A new year brings two new ideas which we hope will become regular features in The Greenwood Tree The 'People, Places and Problems' column has appeared since the very beginning of the journal, offering readers an opportunity to share problems and ideas with the wider membership Whilst this can establish useful links with others researching similar family... more

Remembering a Generation

Posted on 1st January 2016

In November 2015 the Society published Remembering a Generation The World War One servicemen of West and Middle Chinnock by Phil Nichols, who describes the origins of his research and new contacts he has made as a result of the publication While writing this book, I came to see how little I had appreciated the significance of the war memorials, both inside and outside of our two village churches, and the names inscribed on those memorials It was very clear, however, that the collective... more

Christmas Star(s & Stripes)

Posted on 23rd December 2015

Robin Ansell continues Barbara's 'transtlantic connection' theme for Christmas tree decorations Following Barbara’s story of tree decorations on both sides of the Atlantic, I offer our ‘stars & stripes’ Christmas tree star! It has adorned our Christmas tree every year since 2006 – when it was presented to us in Pennsylvania, by our then newly-discovered American cousins Connecting with them was in large measure due to the hallowed pages of the Society's journal The Greenwood Tree... more

Christmas memories

Posted on

Barbara Elsmore continues our theme about Christmas decorations and the family memories they evoke I was so pleased that Patricia reminded us of the joy of getting out the box of Christmas decorations and being re-acquainted once again with the treasures that lie within My personal collection of old favourites contains a 'Bambi' made in felt by my late mother in the 1970s from a pattern found in one of her magazines My dad added a little wooden sledge and with a few special tiny parcels on... more