This recording was made in 1989 as part of the research for an exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum entitled ‘Made in Somerset’. John Creber talks about the history of Wensley’s, an agricultural engineering firm in Mark from 1860–1920. John’s father, Dick Creber, bought the Wensley’s wheelwright shop in 1928. He continued to make wagons and carts until rubber tyres arrived and wheelwrighting largely came to an end in the 1960s, when John took over the business and concentrated on joinery.
Irish land records
February 7, 2009 at 4:00 am (Genealogy, History)
Tags: National Archives
With the loss of the nineteenth century census returns for Ireland, Sharon Hintze guides us through the alternative sources for family historians researching their Irish ancestors in this podcast from the National Archives.
Riding The Rails
February 6, 2009 at 4:00 am (Location)
Tags: Purbeck, Swanage
The Swanage Railway is almost taken for granted by people of the town and of Purbeck, but what is it actually like to drive a mighty locomotive from Swanage to Norden? Peter Frost describes such a trip.
Read the full article in Dorset Life.
Somerset Voices: Eric Cox
February 5, 2009 at 4:00 am (Biography, History, Podcast)
Tags: Cox, Glastonbury
Eric Cox was born and brought up in Glastonbury, where his family had a market gardening business. In his youth he attended the Boys’ Brigade, which was affiliated to Glastonbury Congregational Chapel. After Dunkirk the Boys Brigade band would march soldiers to church every Sunday.
50 years ago
February 4, 2009 at 4:00 am (History)
Tags: Dorset
The Dorset Echo takes a look through the newspaper’s pages from this week 50 years ago.
A Soldier of Dorset
February 3, 2009 at 4:00 am (Biography, Genealogy, History)
Tags: Cranborne Chase, Kerley, Pentridge
Jeremy Archer recounts the eventful life of Private Cornelius Kerley, 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot a native of Pentridge on Cranborne Chase.
Read the full article in Dorset Life
Somerset Voices: Fred Cousins
February 2, 2009 at 4:00 am (Biography, History, Podcast)
Tags: Bridgwater, Cousins, Meare Green
Fred Cousins was born in 1915. Fred began his working life as a farmer; growing withies and teasels was a way of earning extra money in his spare time. He took early retirement after working in the Bridgwater concrete works for twenty years, and went back to teasel growing at Coate’s willow works, Meare Green. It is now difficult to buy the tools and gloves required to grow teasels.
Horizontal Apostles
February 1, 2009 at 4:00 am (Genealogy)
Lilian Ladle and Ken Ayres have visited the church of St John the Baptist at Bere Regis.
Read the full article in Dorset Life
