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The SDFHS Blog

Christmas Tree Fairy Story

Posted on 22nd December 2015

Patricia Spencer recounts how the rediscovery of the 1950s fairy which had always graced the top of her family Christmas tree awakened memories of Christmas decorations from the past Last weekend I bought a small Christmas tree from the man who sells plants and flowers outside the Family History Centre in Sherborne and I called in at the Centre to say 'hello' to whoever was there Seeing the tree I was carrying and my having remarked that when I got home I'd be making a new dress for my... more

The Pasley Engine Company, Sherborne

Posted on 29th November 2015

On Saturday 21 November 2015 we held our second successful 'Sherborne's Industrial Archaeology' day, chaired by George Tatham and with talks on several fascinating topics by Barry Brock and Graham Bendell Here Graham summarises the history of William Henry Pasley and his Sherborne-based engine company William Henry Pasley was born in Ireland in the late 1850s By 1871 he was an apprentice ironmonger Clearly he learnt his trade well as, by 1881, he was an ironmonger employing five people in... more

The Greenwood Tree – preview of the November 2015 edition

Posted on 28th October 2015

The November 2015 issue of The Greenwood Tree will be appearing soon, and we have another larger-than-usual edition this time – 36 pages of articles, regular features and news Following the very successful Rid(e)out symposium held at the Family History Centre in Sherborne in August, we have two articles by speakers on that occasion Roger Guttridge, the local journalist, author and former editor of The Greenwood Tree, has updated his research into Roger Ridout, a local smuggler in the 18th... more

More Family Treasures

Posted on 22nd October 2015

Barbara Elsmore has been scouring the charity shops of Sherborne collecting items, with no apparent monetary value, and using them to create a display at our Family History Centre where she hopes they will act as reminders to members and visitors of things they may have used, or seen used, in the past and become talking points You may have noticed that I love coming across old things, once in regular use, that have a story to tell First up I trawled through my own garage where I found a... more

Do you have a carpenter in the family?

Posted on 9th October 2015

Barbara Elsmore describes how learning a new trade enabled her great-grandfather, George Collings, to improve his own life and that of his descendants Many of his carpentry tools are still in the family and some are now on display in the SDFHS Family History Centre in Sherborne In 1862 fourteen year old George Collings signed an apprenticeship form and for the next four years he would learn how to become a carpenter How could he possibly have known how this would change his life from that of... more