01935 429609
Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society

Weymouth

Lust and Litigation in 17th Century Dorset

Family history research can sometimes reveal the most fascinating and unexpected results This happened to me recently when I was researching my FULFORD ancestors I discovered details of a lawsuit that gave startling insight into a family member Margaret JEWELL was born in 1665 daughter of Anne Jewell (neé Fulford) The first name of her father and the marriage details of her parents are unknown (records are scarce for the Commonwealth period) On 4th August 1685 at Sydling St Nicholas she...
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Lord Dorset’s Recompense

Serendipity (unexpected and fortunate discoveries) can be a marvelous feeling, not least in the course of family history research Some years ago at the British Library, I noticed, quite by chance, that it has an Index of Names associated with its Manuscripts Collection Such indices are invaluable to genealogists Nothing ventured, I inserted the name ‘PITFIELD’ and the search referred me to an amazing document This is a letter from Thomas SACKVILLE, first Earl of Dorset, who was the Lord...
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The King’s Mercy

Following King George III’s first period of mental instability in 1789, his doctors advocated the benefits of sea air, sea-bathing, and sea-water drinking to alleviate his symptoms As the King’s brother, the Duke of Gloucester, owned a property in Weymouth The town was chosen for the King’s recuperation The first visit was successful and George, with other members of his family, became regular visitors until 1805 While the royal vacations were largely limited to Weymouth, the family...
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The Greenwood Tree – June 2020

Emigration to the New World proved to be the most popular theme for The Greenwood Tree in memory as members sent in a record number of contributions for the June edition Editor Paul Radford previews the special edition which has four extra pages and which will be mailed to members at the end of May and which SDFHS members can already view or download from the Members Area of the Society’s website Donna Heys with ancestral graves Quantity and quality do not always go hand...
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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...
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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

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