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Because of the area covered by the Society, it is divided into eight geographical Groups. The Groups hold regular meetings, so wherever you are in the two counties there is likely to be a meeting close to you in the near future. Members of the Society, and visitors, are welcome to attend any meeting.

Groups in Dorset

(Click on a name for that Group's Programme of Meetings)

Groups in Somerset

(Click on a name for that Group's Programme of Meetings)

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East Dorset

Meetings held at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne. Doors open 7.30 p.m., meeting starts 8.00 p.m. Click here for a location map.

Meetings are in the Quarterjack Room.

Most Thursday mornings we are at the Local Study Centre, Poole Waterfront Museum.

Programme Secretary:- Pat Hilbert 01202821478

Programme for 2010

 

Monday 15th March                        My ancestor went to California in the Goldrush     Trevor Fulton

 

Friday 9th April                                School records                                                   George Yalden

 

Monday 17th May                           Birth control                                                        Colin Chapman

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South Dorset

All meetings are held at 7.30 p.m. in the St.Francis Church Hall, Littlemoor, Weymouth (opposite the Somerfield Store)

Programme Secretary:- David Lane, Tel. 01305 774220

Click here for the Group's own pages.

Programme for 2010

 

Wednesday 10th March                    AGM followed by "My early schooldays"                         Audience participation

 

Wednesday 14th April                      Researching a typical rural village                                      Colin Dean

 

Wednesday 12th May                       Researching my military ancestor - a real assault course     Sheila Meaney

 

Wednesday 9th June                         "Who do they think they are?"                                           Pat Hase

 

Wednesday 14th July                        Criminal ancestors                                                             David Hawkings

 

Wednesday 11th August                   Social history                                                                     Ted Udall

 

Wednesday 8th September               Thomas Hardy - A literary life                                            Rob Curtis

 

Wednesday 13th October                "Tales from the Archives"                                                    Speaker from the Dorset History Centre

 

Wednesday 10th November            "A sailor in the early 20th Century Navy"                             Alan Brown

 

Wednesday 8th December               Christmas meeting - A monumental Quiz                             Audience participation

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West Dorset

West Dorset Group meet in Loders Village Hall, at 2.00p.m.    Members £1.50 per session. Non-members £2 per session. Afternoon tea included.

Programme Secretary: Brian Webber, Tel. 01935 812347

Programme for 2010:

 

Saturday 13th March            Genetics & Heredity for Family Historians by Heather Sheeley

 

Saturday 10th April              Maps for Family Historians by Delia Horsfall

 

Saturday 8th May                My family tree: Root and Branch by Mike Bolton

 

Saturday 12th June             Dorset farmhouses and cottages by Bob Machin

 

July - visit to be arranged

 

Saturday 11th September    20th century records by Jane Ferentzi-Sheppard

 

Saturday 9th October          Researching your Welsh & Scottish ancestors by Dr. Colin Chapman

 

Saturday 13th November     Researching house & building history by a speaker from DHC (TBA)

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Blackmore Vale

Meetings held at The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1FH at 7.30 p.m.

Various ways to reach the Exchange:

 

Via the B3091 from Shaftesbury. Follow the route of the B3091 into Sturminster Newton until you reach the Traffic lights, turn right into Old Market hill and in about 200 yards you will see the car park in front of  the Health Centre on your left. Turn in to the car park the door to the Exchange and Stur Quest is adjacent to the Health Centre.

 

Via the B3092 from Gillingham and the A 30. Leave Gillingham on the B3092 southwards towards East Stour, where you will cross the A 30 (anyone using the A30 will travel towards East Stour and at the crossroads turn south on to the B3092). Now follow the B3092 through Marnhull and Hinton St Mary into Sturminster Newton until you reach the traffic lights. Now turn left into the B3091 (Shaftesbury) this is Old Market Hill within 150 yards you will find a car park on the right turn in here the Exchange is in front of you.

 

From the South using the A 357. If coming from the East (Blandford area) follow the A 357 until you reach Sturminster Newton bridge where you turn right into the B3091 / B3092. Those coming from the West (Sherborne area using A3030) or Henstridge /Stalbridge follow the A 357 until you reach Sturminster Newton bridge where you turn left into the B3091/ B3092. You now proceed up the hill into the town and keep ahead only until you reach the traffic lights, you now turn right into the B3091 (Shaftesbury) this is Old Market Hill within 150 yards you will find a car park on the right turn in here the Exchange is in front of you.

Programme Secretary:- James Pitman, 15 Belmont Close, Shaftesbury  SP7 8NF

Programme for 2010:

Thursday 11th March                    Some aspects of the Civil War in Dorset

                                                    and Hampshire                                            Roger Emmerson

Thursday 8th April                        A challenge and Q/A session                      

Saturday 8th May                         Open Day 10.00 - 4.00                             At 2pm a talk by Colonel Iain Swinerton

Thursday 13th May                      Talk on Maps                                             Delia Horsfall

Thursday 10th June                      TBA

Thursday 8th July                         Pre Victorian holidays                                 Pat Hase

August                                         No meeting

Thursday 9th September              Presumed curable                                        DHC

Thursday 14th Oct                       Palaeography

Thursday 11th Nov                      TBA

Thursday 9th Dec                        TBA

 

West Somerset

A new Group formerly known as the "Old Minehead Family History Group"

The Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Members £1, non-Members £2. Refreshments included.

Venue:- Townsend House Townsend Road, Minehead, Somerset.

Programme Secretary:- Jane Butland sjsharp6@btinternet.com

Programme for 2010

Wednesday 31st March                Maps in family history                        BobSteed

Wednesday 28th April                  Postcards                                          Andew Janes

Wednesday 26th May                   Serendipity                                        Anne-Marie Wilkinson

Wednesday 30th June                   Members evening

Wednesday 28th July                    Social history                                    Ted Udall

 

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Mid-Somerset

Please note the new meeting place: The Residents Lounge, Bluestone Court, Oxendale, Street. BA16 0NF. 7.15p.m. for 7.30p.m. start.

Programme Secretary:- Steve Wilkinson, 4 King Alfred's Way, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4BB

Programme for 2010

Thursday 11th March                        Visit to SDFHS HQ in Sherborne               

Thursday 8th April                            Journey across the Levels                            Mike Bolton

Thursday 13th May                           Braunds of Bucks                                       Chris Braund

Thursday 10th June                           Mary Rose                                                  Bill Moore

Thursday 8th July                              Transportation: who went where & when     Heather Sheeley

July/August TBA                               Trip to London

Thursday 12th August                       Old Handwriting - A backwards history       John Hurley

Thursday 9th September                   Was your ancestor really married?

                                                        Marriage laws, records and customs.            Colin Chapman

Thursday 14th October                     Murder and mayhem on the Midland -

                                                        a murder, an accident and a suicide on the

                                                        Midland Railway in its early days                   Chris & Judy Rouse

Thursday 11th November                 Grandma's garden                                         Yvonne Bell

Thursady 9th December                   Social evening

 

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Taunton

Meetings held at Kilkenny Old People's Centre, side of railway station car park, Taunton at 7.30 p.m.

Programme Secretary:- Bob Steed, 77 Mountjoy Road, Bishops Hull, Taunton, TA1 5DS

Programme for 2010

 

 

The Taunton Group also holds a meeting on the third Monday of each month (except August) at the Robin Close Community Hall, Robin Close, Bishops Hull, Taunton. (Robin Close is off Heron Drive the road to St Margaret's Hospice). This is an informal self help meeting, where we try and help each other with research problems.

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Yeovil

Meetings held at Holy Trinity Church Hall, Lysander Road Yeovil (opposite B & Q)  at 7.30 p.m.

Programme Secretary:- Sheila Gane, 31 Turner's Barn Lane, Yeovil BA20 2LN

Programme for 2010:

Tuesday 9th March  "Social History" by Ted Udall
 
Tuesday 13th April  "Smuggling in Dorset" by Bonnie Sartin
 
Tuesday 11th May  "Dorset Farmhouses & Cottages"  by Bob Machin
 
Tuesday 8th June  "Manorial Records" by Dr. Mark Forrest
 
Tuesday 13th July  Crewkerne Walk  -   Meet Museum at 7 p.m.
 
Tuesday 10th August  An evening on Yeovil: Newtown  - Rosemary & June; Railway  - John Marshall
 
Tuesday 14th June   Members evening - Family Research
 

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Sedgemoor

Meetings held in St Johns Church Hall, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 3AG. 7.30p.m. for a 7.45p.m. start

Programme Secretary Trevor Davies, 101 Worston Road, Highbridge TA9 3JX

Programme for 2010:

Thursday 1st April   "Sources for Somerset rural history from the 18th century" Somerset Record Office-speaker to be confirmed.

Thursday 6th May   "Industrial Schools" by Shirley Hodgson.

Thursday 3rd June  "The Lives of the Georgian Rural Poor in Eddington" by Anne Murch, local historian.

Thursday 1st July  "Merchant Navy Records" by David Hawkings, professional researcher & author.

August  - No Meeting

Thursday 3rd September  "Somerset Quarter Sessions Records"  by Bernard Welchman, professional researcher & author

Thursday 7th October  "Wild Oats (Bastards & Baby farming)" by Hazel Hudson, local historian & author.

Thursday 4th November  "Who does she think she is?" by Pat Hase. M.A., local historian & researcher.  Followed by a short annual business meeting.

Thursday 2nd December.     Members’ social evening.     

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Frome Area

Meetings held at 7.15pm for a 7.30p.m. start, in The Library, Justice Lane-just off Bridge Street, Frome on the last Tuesday of every month unless otherwise stated. 

Please use the back door of the library - approached via the staff car park next to the Round Tower.

Contact Wendy Miller-Williams, Frome Library, Justice Lane Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE

Programme for 2010

Tuesday 30th March             AGM & The Hoare family of Stourhead              Emily Blanshard

Tuesday 27th April                Poor Law                                                           David Hawkings

Tuesday 25th May                 Dissention in Frome                                            Jim Parsons          Meet at Dissenters Cemetery, Frome. 7.30pm

Tuesday 29th June                 Maps for family historians                                    Delia Horsfall

 

Tuesday 27th July                  Social history                                                      Ted Udall

 

August                                  No meeting

 

Saturday 18th September      AGM  Marston House all welcome

 

Tuesday 26th October           Family history - fact or fiction

                                             Beginners introductory talk with anecdotes          Pat Hase

 

Tuesday 30th November       A celebration of members interests. Please

                                              contact the Group Sec. to book a slot

 

December                            No meeting

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