archives

Archival Types – Title deeds

Posted on No Comments on Archival Types – Title deeds

People often view ‘family history’ and ‘house history’ as two separate endeavours with two distinct end results. In reality, the two are inextricably linked. To attempt to do your house history involves as much searching for the people who lived there as it does searching for the address, or the location. The lives of houses… Read more Archival Types – Title deeds

Armchair Travellers – Maps in a time of lockdown

Posted on No Comments on Armchair Travellers – Maps in a time of lockdown

Gerardus Mercator (1512 – 1594) never travelled very far. Apparently, he was a bit of an armchair traveller, which is most relevant today as, due to the lockdown, none of us can go very far. However, in 1569 he designed the map of the world that we all still recognise today. His principle known as… Read more Armchair Travellers – Maps in a time of lockdown

Herrison Hospital Collection: A Year in Review

Posted on No Comments on Herrison Hospital Collection: A Year in Review

At the end of March (which feels a long time ago now), our project to catalogue the records of the Herrison Hospital collection ended. Before she left, our Project Archivist, Sophie Smith, gave us her thoughts on the project and the collection… — Working with a collection as complex and varied as the Herrison Hospital… Read more Herrison Hospital Collection: A Year in Review

Archival Types – Manorial Documents

Posted on No Comments on Archival Types – Manorial Documents

Manorial documents are a rich and under-used source for both local and family historians and are key to understanding life in early-modern England.  Contrary to popular belief most manorial documents are post-medieval and written in English, although the medieval Latin documents often get more attention. Stewards, acting for manorial lords, produced a wide range of… Read more Archival Types – Manorial Documents

Royal Weymouth Volume 2 – Devonshire and Dialect

Posted on No Comments on Royal Weymouth Volume 2 – Devonshire and Dialect

‘Royal Weymouth’ is a four-volume book that we hold within our collection. Like ‘The Extra Illustrated Edition of Hutchins’, it has been put together by A.M. Broadley, but instead of grangerising one book, these volumes are based around several accounts of the Royal visits to Weymouth by King George III and his family. — Much… Read more Royal Weymouth Volume 2 – Devonshire and Dialect

How to find Dorset records on Ancestry…

Posted on 2 Comments on How to find Dorset records on Ancestry…

The Ancestry website is usually available free of charge at Dorset History Centre and in Dorset Libraries. During the current situation, when these centres are closed, Dorset Libraries are offering free access to Ancestry to anyone with a Dorset Library card. Other library services often offer this, and you may wish to check for services… Read more How to find Dorset records on Ancestry…

Corona Diaries Project

Recording the Coronavirus experience in Dorset – Dorset History Centre’s role and how you can contribute

DHC, as the repository for the written and recorded memory of Dorset is keen to play its part in ensuring that future generations can look back on the present day’s experience of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact across the county, whether that be within the setting of village or conurbation.  To this end, DHC working in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole put out a call in early April for ‘Corona Diaries’.  We were seeking volunteers to keep a record of their lives and experiences during this period. 

We were delighted to receive over 100 responses and have been in touch with all those who initially contacted us to supply guidance on formats and legal permissions relating to future access.  We are well aware that there are other people who have been in touch subsequently, who would like to participate.  As it stands at the moment though, we are unable to accommodate any more diarists. 

However, we would certainly not discourage anyone from creating their own record (documents, photographs, film and sound) and would suggest that they contact us when this crisis is over to discuss whether their diary might be suitable to form part of the permanent archival record.

DHC would like to thank all those who have contacted us over the ‘Corona Diaries’ project.  We wish you well in your diary keeping and look forward to discussing the next steps of the process when the current restrictions are lifted. 

DHC is also keen to collect a representative sample of information (hard copy and digital) relating to the impact of Covid-19 – notices, advice and guidance, official proclamations – anything that helps to explain and contextualise the huge changes that have been made very rapidly.  Please contact us if you have anything that you would like to discuss depositing with us. 

In addition, if you are using this period to sort out your attic, shed, or just a drawer, and find letters, diaries, photographs, film or sound recordings or anything else you believe might be worth keeping for long-term retention, please do get in touch with DHC for further advice. 

You can also find information about, and stories from, DHC through our blog pages, and can also engage with us through our social media channels as well. 

Thank-you for thinking of us, and we wish you the best of health during this period. 

Archival Types – Letters and Correspondence

Posted on 1 Comment on Archival Types – Letters and Correspondence

 ‘…I have scrawled with my pencil a sort of view…’ D-BKL/H/J/1/1357 — In recent times, and particularly during this period, our means of communication has become largely ephemeral and digital; including text messaging, video and audio.  But for centuries it was not so.  Until the advent of the telephone in the latter part of the… Read more Archival Types – Letters and Correspondence

Bookbinding DIY – Piano hinge binding

Posted on 4 Comments on Bookbinding DIY – Piano hinge binding

Whilst the Coronavirus lockdown continues, we have asked our Conservator for some bookbinding activities you can try at home. This is the third of three blogs in which she will show you how to do some book-binding at home… — A part of my job that I always look forward to is running bookbinding sessions. … Read more Bookbinding DIY – Piano hinge binding