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Sherborne

The Wonders of The Library Catalogue or how I came to fight my way through an imaginary net curtain

Posted on 20th February 2017

I struggled to come up with a title that would grab your attention as I knew 'The Library Catalogue' just wouldn't do it I thought 'The Life Changing Library Catalogue' didn't quite have the right ring to it as in the scheme of things it seems such a small achievement but there are years and years of work by a series of long term volunteers at the Family History Centre behind it I take this opportunity to thank the most recent incumbent, Elsie Smith, who has just retired after many years of... more

The Greenwood Tree – November 2016

Posted on 1st November 2016

The November issue of The Greenwood Tree is now in the post to members The Editor, Bob Barber, presents a few items to whet your appetite The cover includes a number of photographs collected recently by the the Society's Photographs Project They also act as a Who Do You Think This Is feature Go to page 113 and see if you know any more about the people portrayed With thanks to Allan Collier for permission to use his photos, and also Sylvia Creed-Castle, Tony Chew and the Sunshine Coast... more

Robert Goadby – founder of the ‘Western Flying Post’

Posted on 19th October 2016

When Patricia Goadby and her brother Michael arrived at the SDFHS Family History Centre one day to enquire about their illustrious ancestor, Robert Goadby, the founder of the Western Flying Post (now better known as the Western Gazette) we were about to shut up shop However, the timing turned out to be advantageous as we were able to get together with our fellow volunteers in Sherborne Museum, to do some background research, before inviting Patricia and Michael back to hear about what we had... more

The Whittle Box

Posted on 29th August 2016

The questions that kept popping into my head all began when I saw a green box with a name painted on it in an antique shop in Sherborne Who had owned the box Who had painted the name What was the script used and what did it say The script turns out to be 'Blackletter', identified for me by a friend who enjoys calligraphy, and the name - C T R Whittle Some rudimentary research led to one Charlie Thomas Whittle (b1877 in Yetminster) who went off to board at Kingston school in Yeovil around 1890... more

Washing Day

Posted on 24th May 2016

For centuries ‘Washing Day’ was always women's work and in cottages and houses up and down the country it was usually done on a Monday You may see the name 'Laundry Cottage' on your travels which reveals that this would have been an early and vital cottage industry This photograph of the laundry in the Dorset village of Nether Compton (by kind permission of Michael Goodden) was taken around 1904 and it shows in the foreground the long cottage where all the work was done and where the... more

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