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Two men with multiple ‘marriages’

Posted on 7th February 2016

I suspect that many family historians who run into a ‘brick wall’ when trying to pin down an ancestor do the same thing as I do and try to ‘sneak up’ on them by looking at other people with the same surname in the same area at the same time, in the hope of being able to connect to the right family Doing this for one of my GGGGG Grandmothers, Jane Storrow/Starrow, meant that my research wandered off at a tangent and I started investigating the marriages of a man whose gravestone lists... more

Remembering a Generation

Posted on 1st January 2016

In November 2015 the Society published Remembering a Generation The World War One servicemen of West and Middle Chinnock by Phil Nichols, who describes the origins of his research and new contacts he has made as a result of the publication While writing this book, I came to see how little I had appreciated the significance of the war memorials, both inside and outside of our two village churches, and the names inscribed on those memorials It was very clear, however, that the collective... more

Christmas memories

Posted on 23rd December 2015

Barbara Elsmore continues our theme about Christmas decorations and the family memories they evoke I was so pleased that Patricia reminded us of the joy of getting out the box of Christmas decorations and being re-acquainted once again with the treasures that lie within My personal collection of old favourites contains a 'Bambi' made in felt by my late mother in the 1970s from a pattern found in one of her magazines My dad added a little wooden sledge and with a few special tiny parcels on... more

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

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

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