AGM and Members' Evening

At the recent annual general meeting of the South Dorset Group of the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, the Chairman, Ian Miller congratulated members on a successful year, and looked forward to further progress during the next twelve months Ian with other officers, agreed to remain in office for a further year, although several posts remained unfilled. To complete the evening programme, five members each presented a thumbnail report on an ancestor,
commencing with Ian. His relative had trained as a solicitor, but had then joined the General Accident Insurance Company in 1887, and soon rose to eminence in the car insurance market. The business grew rapidly to world-wide proportions, and in time he was rewarded with the chairmanship. He was also active in many other fields, being knighted and also elected as a Liberal MP. David Lane, the next presenter, admitted that Peter Bayliss, the well-known actor was really related to his wife. He died in 2002 at the age of 80, and had been acclaimed for the diversity of the parts he had played, ranging from Shakespearean characters to the latest TV detective. Phil Sherwood had an interesting story about an ancestor who had been the driver of a gun team in the Royal Horse Artillery, fighting in Mesopotamia during World War One. This campaign against the Turks was fought over the same territory as the recent Gulf War, and ended with the ignominious surrender of British and Indian soldiers at Kut. During the subsequent forced march, 6000 prisoners died, and his relative is buried at Basra. John Hackford's researches had uncovered a succession of relatives, who had served as vergers and clerks during a period of 130 years at Boston Stump, the renowned church in Lincolnshire. One individual had presided for 50 years over the ceremonies, officiating at over 4000 weddings and had even deputised as the best man on occasions The evening concluded with the story of how Ron Knight's 3xgreat grandfather, an agricultural labourer had applied for a grant from the Parish. The Chairman had taken offence at his manner, and he was forcibly ejected, subsequently spending seven days in Winchester Prison. Later, with the assistance of the Curate, he sued for damages, and received £50 for wrongful arrest, a veritable fortune in those days.

Tony Johnson

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