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Commemorating the start of World War I

Posted on 3rd August 2014

This weekend is the centenary of the start of World War I and yesterday (2nd August) we marked this with three fascinating talks at our Family History Centre by Col Iain Swinnerton, the Society’s Military Advisor and a renowned military and family historian Iain started by discussing the causes of the war and then moved on to talking about the history of the Somersetshire and Dorsetshire regiments and the role they played during the conflict After a tea break Iain then provided helpful... more

The Greenwood Tree – August 2014

Posted on 20th July 2014

The August issue of the SDFHS journal, The Greenwood Tree, is now at the printers and will be distributed to all members shortly The Editor, Bob Barber, previews the contents of this very special edition As the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War approaches we will be subject to a rolling barrage of books, newspaper articles, television and radio programmes and local and national events and exhibitions The SDFHS is no exception in attempting to acknowledge the sacrifice... more

Sherborne’s vanished pubs

Posted on 18th July 2014

Yesterday evening (17th July) saw Barry Brock, the Manager of our Family History Centre, suitably kitted out in a luminous safety jacket, guiding a group of us around the streets of Sherborne, on the trail of the town’s vanished pubs This was the first of four such pub walks (definitely not pub crawls!) that the Society has organized this summer We originally set three dates but these all booked up so quickly that we recently added a fourth - on Thursday 7th August (places still available... more

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

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