The story of Harry Paye is an interesting one (if you haven’t heard it). He is somewhat of a local legend. Harry Paye was a seafarer in the 1400s. Described by many as a pilfering pirate; he policed the channel intercepting hundreds of French and Spanish ships; capturing cargo and earning the moniker “Robin Hood… Read more Harry Paye – An admiral of the sea, or a seafaring pirate
Last year, we were joined by a new Conservator – Jessica Pollard! Four months later, and we thought it was about time we introduced her to our readers! — Hello, I’m the new Archive Conservator at Dorset History Centre, joining the team in November of last year, and can’t quite believe four months has gone… Read more Introducing our new Conservator!
The Temperance movement in the UK, first founded in Bradford in 1830, campaigned against the consumption of alcohol and promoted total abstinence. Public houses were often the only places where workers could meet socially and the high levels of alcohol consumption, along with the subsequent drunkenness, were a major problem leading to other presumed social… Read more The Temperance movement in Dorset
Welcome to the fifth part of our series exploring the history of Icen Cottage, Fordington. In previous blogs, we have introduced you to the cottage, shown you some of the earliest documents relating to the cottage, discussed some of the problems when trying to identify the people who lived in the cottage, and introduced George Cull… Read more Icen Cottage – The Mitfords and The Arnolds
Shrove Tuesday is approaching and we are preparing to indulge in the tradition of eating pancakes. But there is another centuries-old tradition also occurring on Shrove Tuesday that we want to shine a light on. In Corfe Castle, Shrove Tuesday is the day when the Purbeck quarrymen meet to enrol the new quarrymen. The ceremony… Read more Shrove Tuesday: a lesser-known tradition
Dorset Archives Trust with the Thomas Hardy Society are promoting a series of three fascinating lectures which will examine aspects of Hardy’s life and work referencing elements of his archival legacy. You can find details of the talks below. Hardy’s UNESCO-inscribed archive – 150 boxes of the author’s records ranging from the manuscript of The… Read more Thomas Hardy lecture series: fundraising to open up Hardy’s archives to the wider world!
Our volunteer David has been digging into his family history, and exploring the lives of his parents through the letters they sent. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, David has had a look at the love letters sent by his parents… — My parents met at a Christmas dance at the Rock Hotel in Weymouth on 23… Read more Love Letters and Family Tales
What better way to get to get to know what a county archive does than to roll up your sleeves and work alongside us for a month? Each summer we host undergraduates and give them an insight into our service. Last year’s students told us that the role was ‘perfect’ – they felt well set-up… Read more Join us for your work experience this summer!
When rummaging through a box from the Fox Strangways Estate archive, we came across a book so small it can fit in the palm of your hand. It has a worn leather cover and tiny metal clasps and looks as though it has been well-used. Naturally, we wanted to know what it was! Closer inspection… Read more How to Tell the Time Using Your Hand, and Other Useful Information
Both functional as a form of authentication and aesthetically pleasing, seals are always an intriguing part of archival documents. Sometimes the connection between imagery and owner is clear – Simon Carp might have fish or a hook; but often the significance has been lost to time. We may not know the stories behind the seals,… Read more Wax Mysteries…
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