01935 429609
Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society

Sherborne

Remembering Bertie and Reg

I would like to tell you about two boys who died in World War One They had both attended Foster's School, in Sherborne, and you can see their names on the Roll of Honour board (now at the Gryphon School) These two boys became firm friends and would have had no idea that their carefree schoolboy games and exercises would be followed by such an abrupt end to both their young lives The first boy is Francis Reginald Palmer, or Reg as he was known In 1907 at the age of 13, an age at which many...
more

Somerset Photographers 1839-1939

On 31 August 1844, an advertisement in the Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser announced that, during the following week at the Bowling Green, Warwick “Master Augustus Gyngell, only eight years of age, the child with the iron nerve, will make his daring and astonishing flight across the Green, from an immense altitude, surrounded with fireworks, as the Spirit Ariel, travelling at the rate of 200 miles an hour” We’ve not found a report which might have verified the height or the speed of...
more

Milborne Port and the local area in WWII

Our next Sherborne event is on Saturday 30 June - 230pm in the Raleigh Hall on Digby Rd - when Richard Duckworth will be presenting old film footage of the area around Milborne Port/Sherborne during World War II The film, which Richard has compiled, shows what was happening in our area during WWII, including footage of Home Guard training, events just before D Day in 1944 and the celebrations in Sherborne at the end of the War We hope that the film will revive memories for those who lived...
more

The Railway History of Yeovil, South Somerset & West Dorset

On Saturday 9 June, Roger Marsh will be giving a talk for the Society on The Railway History of Yeovil, South Somerset & West Dorset in the Raleigh Hall, Digby Rd, Sherborne DT9 3NL at 230pm With the advent of Brunel’s broad gauge railway from London to Bristol and onwards to the west and the London & South Western Railway line from London to Southampton under the leadership of Joseph Locke, South Somerset and West Dorset found itself in an area eagerly wanting to join the new era in...
more

The Greenwood Tree – March 2018

Paul Radford, the new Editor of the SDFHS journal, The Greenwood Tree, previews the contents of the March issue which is now being printed The first issue of the year of The Greenwood Tree marks a new era for the Society with the transfer of our headquarters from the centre of Sherborne to Broadway House in Yeovil By sheer coincidence, my first task as the new editor of The Greenwood Tree is to bring you the story of the move and what it means for members and for the Society The change had to...
more

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

Archives