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The SDFHS Blog

Sherborne Festive Shopping Day

Posted on 8th December 2013

Our Family History Centre in Sherborne was open today for the town's Festive Shopping Day We were selling new and second-hand books on family/local history, providing tea/coffee and home-made mince pies, and our Volunteers were on hand to give advice on research There was a lovely Christmassy atmosphere, with peals of bells from the Abbey, and carol-singing around the crib at the Conduit, just outside our door The main street, Cheap St, was packed with shoppers taking advantage of special... more

Family Wedding – Chicago Style

Posted on 7th December 2013

Before going to the USA for a family wedding Barbara Elsmore wrote here about a charming family tradition She now summarises her visit and reflects on the importance of family connections, past and present Just back from my nephew’s wedding held in a swish, downtown hotel in Chicago It was certainly different from anything I had been to in the past but then our own, once familiar, wedding ceremonies are evolving with the changing times The minister talked of the young couple’s heritage... more

Basic sources for tracing World War I soldiers

Posted on 30th November 2013

As the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I approaches, Col Iain Swinnerton, SDFHS Military Adviser, summarises the basic sources for tracing and identifying soldiers who fought in the War The Medal Rolls Every soldier who served in a Theatre of War received at least the British War Medal and the Victory Medal However, you must remember that many soldiers did not go overseas or did not do so until the war was over, when they were sent to join the Army of Occupation in Germany, so... more

SDFHS Mid-Somerset Group at ‘Arch’ive Explored’

Posted on 18th November 2013

Ann-Marie Wilkinson, the SDFHS Chair, reports on an event in Wells Saturday 16th November saw seven members of the SDFHS Mid-Somerset Group in Wells helping at the “ARCHI’VE EXPLORED” Event The whole event was organised by the Wells City and Cathedral Archivist, Dr Julia Wood She had been on Radio Somerset publicising the event in the morning and even gave our Society a plug The event was spread across venues in Wells Steve Wilkinson, Paddy Thomson and Peter Welch were in the... more

Mills on the Yeo and the men who worked them

Posted on 9th November 2013

Colin Dean reviews Mills on the Yeo and the men who worked them This must sound like the title of a serious study – and so it is Author Martin Bodman describes it as a gazetteer of 91 watermill sites in the River Yeo basin in south-east Somerset and north-west Dorset But when you see the colourful cover and the page lay-outs containing detailed maps and photographs of most of the locations, you will be drawn to pick it up And when you discover in the acknowledgements that respected family... more

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