01935 429609
Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society
Family History Society
Below is a list of upcoming SDFHS events.
Fond memories of the bustle and activity of Monday market days at Sturminster are shared by many local families, yet far fewer people are aware of the town’s once-important Sturminster Agricultural Society cattle shows, held annually from 1832 into the 1880s. The shows were followed by prestigious dinners, usually at The Crown, attended by an impressive guest list. Reports in local and national newspapers record packed dining rooms – with over 200 guests accommodated in the room above ‘Holebrooks’ – while the town’s other inns did a roaring trade, too. This talk explores the people behind these events, compares Sturminster with other agricultural societies, and uncovers the speeches, debates and rural concerns that once placed the town firmly on the national stage.
Speaker: Jacqui Wrag
Two local writers will be telling us how they tackled publishing their work. Paul Radford, with his sister, have recently published their account of life in immediate post-war Guernsey, “Sarnia Cherie”. Carlos Guarita is a photographer who has published books about local photographers “Where the Dipping is Ripping, the Dorset photographs of Joseph Robert Potts” and “Clarence Austin The Photographer and the Bridport Wildcat Women”. Both will share their experiences with you at our meeting.
All welcome, members £2, visitors £4.
Members’ Evening “Crime and Punishment”
‘The Wall of Death’ by Kay Townsend
During the First World War, an estimated 60,000 volunteers served with the British Red Cross Society in auxiliary hospitals across the United Kingdom, providing much-needed care for sick and wounded servicemen returning from the Front. This talk explores the pivotal role played by the VADs in Dorset during the war and highlights how this remarkable contribution was largely sustained through the efforts of female voluntary labour.
Speaker: Luke Mouland