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Dorset

Ernest Chambers and other Anzacs in Weymouth

Posted on 5th July 2014

Phil Sherwood and Jennie McGowan of the SDFHS South Dorset Group took part recently in a 15 minute Radio Solent programme about Anzacs in Weymouth as part of the BBC’s 'World War One at Home 'series You can hear the programme at: http://wwwbbccouk/programmes/p01x5jzr Jennie gives further information about her family connection to the Anzacs Ernest Henry Chambers was born in 1895 in Sydney Australia, the son of Johanna and Frederick Henry Chambers He enlisted for service abroad on 12th May... more

Heritage Alliance Open Day

Posted on 14th June 2014

What a wonderful day the Heritage Alliance Open Day held at the Family History Centre in Sherborne on Saturday 31 May turned out to be It was the first public coming together of the newly established Sherborne heritage group consisting of the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, Sherborne Museum, St Johns’ Almshouse, Sherborne Boys' School Archives and Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre It was a lovely day and I was particularly excited as I had been working on my exhibition of... more

The Greenwood Tree May 2014

Posted on 26th April 2014

Bob Barber gives a preview of the next edition of the Greenwood Tree We start the May edition of The Greenwood Tree in seasonal mode with an account by Maureen Bowler of the social history of the celebrations of May Day This brings back grim memories for me of having to learn country dances at school, but the folk customs surrounding May Day spread much wider Bob Evered has unearthed a very nice etching of St George’s church Dunster by Elizabeth Piper, an etcher and painter... more

The Deacon Family of Basket Makers

Posted on 21st April 2014

I have a collection of baskets that were made by members of the Deacon family in the village of Nether Compton in Dorset and all are around seventy years old Luckily my father looked after them and I now have the pleasure of using them around the house where I enjoy them and the memories they bring back I also find it satisfying to use the modern day versions and I have a laundry basket, waste paper baskets and kitchen storage baskets all in regular use This interest led me to visit the unique... more

‘The Bishop, the Devil and the Boot’ – Katherine Barker’s reading of Sherborne Museum’s medieval wall painting

Posted on 24th March 2014

Early in March, the SDFHS Research Centre hosted a talk by Katherine Barker for the Sherborne Museum Association on a medieval wall painting discovered in 1962 during renovations to a house in Sherborne Katherine has very kindly enlarged on her original note describing the talk, to enable us to provide a more thorough record of her investigations: - The house was ‘Tudor Rose’ in Long Street and the painting, found during the removal of what was discovered to be a heavily papered-over... more

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