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
In 1799 two significant things were born. Both would make significant contributions to science and research. The first, The Royal Institution of Great Britain was established in March 1799, and is still in existence, having seen no less than 15 Nobel Laureates pass through their doors, and 10 chemical elements be discovered by its members… Read more Mary Anning, 1799-1847
For this blog local Dorset author Minette Walters tells us about the inspiration behind her upcoming book… — For anyone who relishes tales of courage and heroism against overwhelming odds, I recommend a study of the siege of Lyme Regis during the English Civil War. I researched it for my new novel, The Swift and… Read more The Siege of Lyme Regis
Quarter Sessions records are a rich source for many types of historical research. With responsibility for both local justice and administration many people had dealings with the Quarter Sessions court at some point. The records of the Quarter Sessions are a starting point for some fascinating stories of life in Dorset particularly during the 19th… Read more Stories from Dorset Quarter Sessions
This is the third instalment in our blog series about the non-conformist reverend James McClune Uffen and the diary he kept of his Journey from Dorchester to New Zealand in 1911. You can read part 1 and part 2 if you’ve not seen them already! In this instalment we shall find out about ship sightings,… Read more Reverend Uffen’s Leaving Dorset (part 3)
In the collections, Dorset History Centre holds a number of locally published works and manuscripts of Miss Adela Marion Curtis. Miss Curtis (1867-1960) founded a community which existed just outside Burton Bradstock for almost 30 years in the mid 20th century. The members were known locally as The White Ladies because of the flowing white… Read more The Burton Bradstock Religious Community That Almost Never Existed
Wills are basically a statement of how you wish your property to be disposed of following your death. The 1540 Statue of Wills laid down that a will should deal with real estate (i.e. land and buildings) and personal property (e.g. goods, money). The main change was that through a written Will a landowner could… Read more A Guide to Wills, Admons and Inventories
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