Who's Who

The Somerset and Dorset Family History Society is run entirely by its Members, working on a purely voluntary basis in their spare time. The Society does not have any paid personnel.

President and Vice-Presidents

The President of the Society is Sir Mervyn Medlycott

Currently there are four Vice-Presidents, Colin Dean, Terry Farmer, David Hawkings and John Howick.

Officers and Executive Committee (EC)

The day to day running of the Society is overseen by two groups of Members, the Officers and the Executive Committee.

The Officers currently consist of the Chairperson (Ann-Marie Wilkinson)

 

The Secretary (Ted Udall)

The Treasurer (John Marshall)

and two Vice Chairmen, Gerry Burdall, Somerset

and Cynthia Walcot, Dorset

The Executive Committee currently comprises the Officers, the Minutes Secretary and representatives appointed annually by each of the regional Groups of the Society, as follows:

  • Mid Somerset - Paddy Thomson

  • West Somerset - Ted Beard

  • Taunton - Sid Painter

  • Yeovil - Chris Lawrence

  • Sedgemoor - Chris Deane

  • Blackmore Vale - James Pitman

  • East Dorset - John Damon

  • South Dorset - Jennie McGowan

  • West Dorset - Sylvia Creed-Castle

  • Frome - Sue Simpson

  • Research Centre Representative - Barry Brock

  • Health & Safety - John Brooking

  • Groups Liaison Officer - Judy Hodges

As the Society is a Registered Charity, the Executive Committee members are Trustees, and are bound by the laws relating to Charities.

The EC establishes and manages the policy of the SDFHS; reviews the performance of the Society and plans its future growth and activities; receives reports from the functional committees and approves their activities; manages the finances of the Society.

The Society Journal, The Greenwood Tree, is edited by Bob Barber

 

& Barbara Elsmore. They can be contacted by e-mail at editor@sdfhs.org.

The Society Headquarters is at Sherborne.

Functional Committees

The following functional committees have been or are being set up.

PUBLICATIONS

Terms of Reference

  1. To propose to the EC a range of publications of interest to family historians with a bias to S & D matters.
  2. To manage the production, marketing and selling of those and other publications.
  3. To price the products so that the sales make a contribution to the funds of the Society.
  4. To agree a budget of expenditure and agree stock holding values.
  5. To manage the publishing segment of the John Bishop 1641 Fund.

EDUCATION

Terms of Reference

  1. Click here to see the full "Terms of Reference"

RESEARCH CENTRE MANAGEMENT

Terms of Reference to follow

 

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Terms of Reference

  1. To create, maintain and update such Services as shall be agreed with the EC from time to time.
  2. To offers services to the members and the public at agreed rates

The various Society Services are currently run by the following Members:

  • Dorset Marriage Index - SDFHS HQ
  • Dorset Monumental Inscriptions - SDFHS HQ
  • Somerset Marriage Index, pre-1754 - Judy Hodges
  • Somerset Marriage Index, post-1754 - SDFHS HQ
  • Somerset Monumental Inscriptions - SDFHS HQ
  • Burials Index - Dave Hearn
  • Pedigrees Service - SDFHS HQ
  • Wills Database - SDFHS HQ
  • Strays Index - SDFHS HQ
  • IGI and 1881 & 1891 Census Service - SDFHS HQ
  • British Isles Vital Records Index - SDFHS HQ
  • "Soldiers Lost in the Great War" Service - SDFHS HQ
  • Exchange Journals Service - SDFHS HQ
  • Greenwood Tree Back Numbers - SDFHS HQ
  • Membership - Bridget Laver
  • Society Publications Officer - Murial Monk
  • Society Web Site Manager - Chris Lawrence
  • Projects Officer - Angela McDonald

Information about each Service can be found on the appropriate page of the Web Site.

GROUP PROGRAMME ORGANISERS

The following Members currently organise the various Groups Programmes of Events:

  • Mid-Somerset - Steve Wilkinson
  • West Somerset - Jane Butland
  • Taunton - Sue Burne
  • Yeovil - Sheila Gane
  • Blackmore Vale - Judy Hodges
  • East Dorset - Pat Hilbert
  • South Dorset - David Lane
  • West Dorset - Brian Webber
  • Sedgemoor - Lin Hoddinott
  • Frome - Sue Simpson

Detailed information on each Groups' activities can be found under the main tab "Information" and then click on "Group Meetings"