Earlier this year, we came across a curious diary in our library here at Dorset History Centre. Written in 1872, Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins is a personal diary written by a Miss Berry Dallas during her visit to Dorset. Joined by her younger sister Helen, Berry stayed with Major Charles Clapcott and his… Read more “Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins”: An Introduction
At Dorset History Centre, we were recently donated a collection of photographs taken by a local amateur photographer, Gordon Slade. Gordon Slade recorded images of Dorchester and Dorset between the 1960s and 2000s. He photographed many images of Dorchester, Poundbury, and surrounding areas of Dorset as it changed and developed over the years. This included… Read more Photographs of Dorchester by Gordon Slade
This blog started when a recent enquiry led us to look further into the subject of intruder clergymen, who were appointed to Parishes, sometimes against the will of the congregations, at the end of the English Civil War to preach the more puritan form of worship the Cromwell wanted. They were often then forced out… Read more The Chaplyns of Wareham
Continuing our look at life in the village of Sydling St Nicholas in 1947, these images and annotations tell us of the excellent relationship with the County Medical Officer’s team of health visitors. The health visitors would give advice to expectant and mothers of young children and would undertake health checks on the little ones.… Read more Life Through a Lens: A Post-War Dorset Village (Part 2)
As Remembrance Sunday rolls around again for the UK, at a time of saddening and shocking conflict in Europe, the Middle East and around the world, words can fail us. So, for our Remembrance blog this year we are borrowing from John Berger and presenting a ‘picture essay’ – images to invite your own reflections… Read more Reflecting on Remembrance
In yesterday’s blog, we published an account of the ghost of John Daniel, who died in Beaminster in 1728. His relations and neighbours suspected he had been murdered by his stepmother, and their suspicions were only heightened when the ghosts of John and his mother – and an apparition of John’s coffin – were spotted… Read more The Ghosts of Beaminster: How to Get Away With Murder?
Several weeks ago, we came across a spooky document in the Weld of Lulworth Archive (D-WLC/Z/22) headed “A True Account and Narrative of an Apparition in the parish church of Beaminster in the County of Dorset”. Of course, this merited further investigation! After all, who doesn’t love a ghost story at Halloween? It’s not clear… Read more The Ghosts of Beaminster
We have recently had the pleasure of digitising a wonderful collection of 47 photographs of Sydling St. Nicholas, each with a caption clearly explaining the scene, and together they paint a wonderful picture of life in the small post-war West Dorset village in 1947. These official photographs were issued by the Central Office of Information,… Read more Life Through a Lens: A Post-War Dorset Village (Part 1)
We recently had a donation of photographs to the Dorset History Centre, with little information. We knew they belonged to the Morrice Family who lived at the (now-demolished) Glebe House in Weymouth. Included amongst the photographs were photos of the grand Glebe House: Also included in the donation was a handwritten diary from 1856. There… Read more Discovering Stories in Archive Collections
Dorset has close historical links to Newfoundland in Canada, with many of the immigrants who settled there coming from the county. Many Dorset people travelled to Newfoundland to work and trade in Newfoundland, some returning to Dorset in the winter, others making a permanent home there. Poole was one of the most important ports in… Read more Newfoundland Sources at the Dorset History Centre
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