Dorset’s population, being a coastal county, has always had people involved in the shipping trade, in boat building, or aboard one of the many sea going vessels. Probate records exist for many sailors who ‘considering the Perrils & dangers of ye Sea and other uncertainties of this Transitory Life’ made their Wills before they set… Read more Probate Records – Mariners
At Dorset History Centre, we hold a large number of fascinating collections which tell of a rich history. One such collection is that of Loewy Engineering of Bournemouth… — The County of Dorset has been home to many individuals, men and women who in their own specialist fields have made a great impact upon society… Read more Ludwig Loewy – The Story of a Czech Jew who escaped Nazi Germany
This the fourth and final instalment of our blog series about the non-conformist Reverend James McClune Uffen and the journal he kept of his journey from Dorchester to New Zealand in 1911. If you have missed the tale so far, you can read part one, part two and part three to learn the full story… Read more Reverend Uffen’s Leaving Dorset (part 4)
A new collection we have recently taken in (DHC ref: D-3291) contains some very interesting plans and sketches dating from the 1920s to the 1960s… One of the earliest set of plans from 1924 show the design of a larger version of the familiar shelters that can be seen along the Weymouth Esplanade (a popular place to eat fish and chips) to seat 32 or 40 persons, that… Read more Weymouth seafront – What is, was, and what could have been
One of Dorset History Centre’s team has recently passed a driving test, and this, coupled with a photograph from the Herbert Collection inspired a deeper look into the archive! — The roads of Weymouth have certainly changed and so too have motor vehicles and driving lessons. It was amusing to see these two rather large… Read more Driving – how times have changed!
The purchase in December 2020 of a collection of important documents and printed books relating to Thomas Hardy was one of the highlights of last year – a year in which it was at times difficult to feel optimistic. In an earlier blog, parts of the collection were described and we will now examine other items which cast… Read more Thomas Hardy – exploring a new collection (part 2)
It appears that not much is known about the Dorset born artist Alfred Stevens, but he has been described as The English Michaelangelo and one of the greatest of all English craftsmen and designers. He designed the Wellington memorial in St Pauls Cathedral, the lions at the British Museum and one of the heaviest, largest… Read more Alfred Stevens (1817 – 1875): Part 1
As April is National Pet Month, we thought we’d take the opportunity to share a few fascinating furry friends featured in our collections. A man’s best friend A 2020 survey found that dogs are the most popular pet in the UK, with 26% of adults owning one. Until 1987 all dog owners in Britain were required to obtain a licence. One example from 1935… Read more Pets of the Past
In the local studies library at the Dorset History Centre you can find a large collection of journals. These journals are packed with fascinating articles and are often an underused resource. In this series of blogs we will be highlighting some of the interesting articles within them! This is the sixth in our series of… Read more The Journals of DHC: 1950s
On 1 November 1943, a man, claiming to be refugee, arrived in Poole by flying boat and told a story of how he had escaped from a German internment camp in Occupied France. Little did he know then how short his stay in Britain would be. This was wartime Britain and ports and airports like… Read more How Poole helped capture a wartime spy
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