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The society has an extensive library of family and local history associated material, which has been built up over a period of thirty years, both by purchase and by donation. The Library is housed in the Society's HQ at Sherborne, where members can browse through the books and records.
The library stock is divided into separate sections for Somerset and Dorset, with further sub-division into books and other materials. Among the books are works by local authors, donated in exchange for a review in The Greenwood Tree, Phillimore Marriages for Somerset and Dorset, and the Sherborne School Register 1550-1937 (537 pages of lists of names), to mention but a small number.
Included in the other material are a part collection of Registers of Persons Eligible to Vote in Somerset 1832-1912, parish register transcripts for both Somerset and Dorset and photocopies of the 1881 Census Enumerators Books, for Somerset and Dorset.
All material is on open shelves and photocopies (for personal research only) are available at a modest cost. There are facilities available to read material which is published on fiche or CD.
The Library is located in the Society's Research Centre at The Parade, Cheap Street, Sherborne, close to the Abbey. Opening times Monday & Saturday, 10.00a.m. - 1.00p.m., Thursday 10.00a.m. to 4.00p.m. and by appointment. The Centre is open free to members of the Society or on payment of £2.00 by day members.
For visiting at other times Members wishing to make use of the Library are asked to write to:
SDFHS, Society Library, PO Box 4502, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6YL
not forgetting to enclose a stamped addressed envelope for a reply.
The Librarian is willing to do small searches at an initial cost of £1.00 plus 20p per photocopy.
The Library can also be contacted by e-mail at sdfhs@btconnect.com
The books are grouped in the following categories:
 | DCE - Census material relating to Dorset |
| DIR - Directories and Dictionaries |
| DLH - Dorset Local History |
| DMI - Dorset Monumental Inscriptions |
| DPR - Dorset Parish Registers, Manorial Records etc. |
| GEN - Items of general Genealogical interest & miscellaneous items. Within this categories items are indexed using the Dewey system. |
| MAP - County and other Maps |
| MIL - Military |
| PED - Pedigree charts, notes, lists, personal records, copies of Wills and other documents referring to family relationships or particular people |
| SCE - Census materials relating to Somerset |
| SLH - Somerset Local History |
| SMI - Somerset Monumental Inscriptions |
| SPR - Somerset Parish Registers, Manorial records etc. |
| WIL - Wills |
The contents of the Library have been catalogued in a number of files in Excel (.xls) format and are available for download by clicking the relevant link below. The file size is shown after each one.
Note: The files only list the contents of the Library, they do not contain any data from the items listed.
| Full Library catalogue, sorted alphabetically (621Kb) |
| Full Library catalogue, sorted by Library categories (612Kb) |
| Update to full catalogue, June 2009 (69Kb) |
| Records relating to Somerset Parishes (552Kb) |
| Records relating to Dorset Parishes (348Kb) |
| Fiche, mainly containing Parish Records (56Kb) |
| Various CDs (38Kb) |
If you are unable to download a file, please e-mail the Society, stating which list(s) you require.
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