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  2. Family History Federation
  3. Somerset Dorset Family History Society

Somerset and Dorset Family History Society

We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society.

The Somerset and Dorset Family History Society was formed in 1975 to cover family history interests in the pre-1974 county of Somerset and the county of Dorset. Its membership is now in excess of 4000.

The society provides assistance to all those researching their families in the two counties, no matter where they live. It has a large research centre in a grade II listed building in Sherborne, Dorset with over 4000 items in its library, transcriptions of approx 90% of the two counties parish registers, over 4500 personal predigrees and many other records.

Vintage scene of a bride and bridesmaids

Marriage records

If you think your ancestor may have been married in Somerset or Dorset, then these collections of marriage records for the area could help you make exciting new discoveries and add more branches to your family tree.

The Somerset & Dorset Family History Society have made significant contributions to these records sets:

Dorset Hemp and Flax Growers

Do you have ancestors from Dorset who were hemp or flax growers? Explore this alphabetical index of hemp and flax growers between the years 1782 and 1793 which was compiled from bounty claim forms, newspapers, recognisances, pay lists and returns.

Most of the entries are for Dorset, although a few are for Somerset and Devon.

Search Dorset Hemp and Flax Growers

Parish Apprentice Records

If you have roots in Somerset or Dorset then you may uncover new details about your ancestors' working life in these collections of Parish Apprentice records for both Somerset and Dorset.

These records include names of people from Somerset and Dorset who were apprenticed to a master, usually a member of a London livery company, within the period 1575-1800.

Voters going to the polls

Somerset Electoral Registers, 1832-1914

Thanks to our partnership with the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, you can now discover your ancestors among the Somerset Electoral Registers.

These records can provide you with unique information about where your ancestors lived. Find out if they rented or owned their homes and businesses and trace changes of address year by year. You can even find clues to the nature of their business and how prosperous they were.

Search Somerset Electoral Registers, 1832-1914
Gravestones in a churchyard

Dorset Monumental Inscriptions

Thanks to contributions from the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, you can also now discover whether your ancestor died in Dorset by searching more than 56,000 inscriptions taken from gravestones, tombs, monuments and even stained glass windows around the English county.

Who might you discover today?

Search Dorset Monumental Inscriptions

Additional information from the society

The society has 10 local groups which organise their own meetings and speakers. There are six in Somerset (Frome, Street, Highbridge, Taunton, Yeovil and Minehead) and four in Dorset (Loders, Weymouth, Wimborne and Sturminster Newton).

The society has a number of publications and indexes including the Dorset marriage index, Somerset marriage index, Dorset monumental inscriptions index, Somerset monumental inscriptions index, Somerset baptism index, Burial database, Wills database and a Pedigree service. The society will undertake paid research for those who cannot get to Sherborne. The magazine, The Greenwood Tree, is also dispatched from here.

Further details of the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society can be found on the website.

Somerset and Dorset Family History Society is affiliated to the Federation of Family History Societies and is a Registered Charity (no 1010351).