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Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society

Arthur Collings

Hethfelton building site

In 1929 my grandfather Arthur Collings, a carpenter/builder by trade, became the foreman for the construction of a new building in or near Hethfelton, Wool, Dorset He had a Box Brownie camera and he took pictures of the building site which had quite a large workforce Some of the men, including Frank Hann later identified by my father, would have travelled from Nether Compton and stayed on-site somewhere during the week  One thing that struck me was the height of the scaffolding...
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Finding and dating unknown family photos

As anyone interested in family history will know when facts come to light that enable a name to be added to a family tree it is not long before starting to wonder what this person might have looked like Many of us will have photographs back to our grandparents and some are lucky to be able to go back to the great grandparents but beyond this it may well be much more difficult It is often tricky too to travel out sideways as great uncles and aunts and all the associated cousins are likely to...
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The Charge of the Dorset Yeomanry at Agagia on 26 February 1916 – a personal view

Exactly one hundred years ago today the charge of the Dorset Yeomanry at Agagia, in Egypt's western desert, played a major role in the WWI campaign in North Africa Barbara Elsmore shares her own family's memories of this important military event Back in the 1950s and 60s, while visiting my grandparents’ house in Nether Compton, we would have all our meals in a room dominated by what seemed to me like a huge picture of men on horses brandishing swords charging towards a lot of other men in...
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Member and Guest Blogs Welcome

We welcome guest and member blog posts on any topic with a family history connection and invite you to send your contributions, which should include photo/photos, to the editor Barbara Elsmore

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