01935 429609
Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society
Family History Society
The Blackmore Vale Group is re-commencing meetings at The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1FH on the third Wednesday evening of every month. The extended break has led many people to start researching their family tree and group members are happy to offer advice and share experiences.
There is, also, a fantastic line-up of interesting speakers presenting on a variety of topics.
The group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in The Bow Room of The Exchange, Sturminster Newton. The presentations start at 7.30pm.
All are welcome at the meetings. To help defray costs we ask £4 per meeting.
To lie abroad – the Georgian traveller
Speaker: Gordon Le Pard
In the eighteenth century, travel became easier for everybody. Roads were improved, canals and later railways were developed, and it became much safer to travel by sea. At the same time the idea of travelling for pleasure began, from seaside holidays to the Grand Tour of Europe and further to North America and the Far East.
This presentation is based around artefacts, the majority of which will be original. From maps and guidebooks for the traveller, to the equipment a traveller was advised to take, from Brighton Buns to pre-photographic cameras (and perhaps even rose-tinted spectacles); souvenirs from home and abroad, and objects brought back for armchair travellers – these will all be on display.
Gordon was, formerly, an archaeologist working for Dorset County Council. He has written extensively on Dorset’s history and archaeology and led numerous walks round archaeological sites and historic churches.
The Dorset Drowners
Speaker: Paul Cheetham
A ”Drowner” is an occupation that you may have found on a census form as an occupation of one of your ancestors. There were a lot of them in Dorset as they were necessary for the management of the water meadows and healthy crops and farm animals. Paul’s talk will particularly reference the local water meadows at Colber.
Presenting Your Family History
Speaker: Ted Udall
Most of us are not trained historians or archivists. We tend to dive in and collect information in a variety of haphazard ways and end up with piles of “stuff”. This presentation gives some guidelines as to what to do (in the nicest possible way) with all the research material you’ve collected, both real and virtual. We are pleased to welcome the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society Secretary to present at this meeting.
Stop Press!
Speaker: Graham Colls
Graham Colls and Carol Groome have been looking through the British Newspaper archive to find out about people, notable events and scandals (!) in Sturminster Newton and surrounding villages.
Sturminster Newton Roll of Honour (Title tbc)
Speaker: Felicity Harrison
Felicity has been researching the people behind the names on the Sturminster Newton Roll of Honour from the second world war.
Use the form to send a message, or telephone Felicity Harrison at 01258 472942. Please use the form for any queries or comments about the programme.
While Group members have a good deal of local knowledge, they are not usually in a position to carry out documentary research. If you need research done, please see “How We Can Help.”
| January | No Meeting |
| 12 February (2) | Mixing DNA results with a paper trail—Penny Walters |
| 11 March (1) | Posted in the Past—Helen Baggott |
| 8 April (2) | A day in a Georgian house or ‘Nothing like home for real comfort’ – Gordon Le Pard |
| 13 May (1) | From blacksmith to online retailer – 100 years in the life of a Sturminster family business— Graham Hart and Jon Dart from Harts of Stur. |
| 10 June (2) | Family history on tablets of stone—John Damon |
| 8 July (1) | A message to the children—Jim Williams |
| August | Outing—more details later |
| 9 September (2) | Mad Earl Henry and other despicable relations – Sue Burne |
| 14 October (1) | The second oldest business in Sturminster—Rob Cowley |
| 11 November (2) | Where’s that to, then? – Adrian Bailey |
| 9 December (1) | My life as an African-American GI’s son—John Stockley |