It’s often strange where a line of research takes you. What starts out as a simple enquiry ends up uncovering parts of Weymouth’s history that I never knew about, their family lines and tales twisting and weaving through time and place and the story of Weymouth itself. I was rummaging through the National Probate Calendar…
Weymouth Maritime Mishaps and Mayhem of 1857
Being on the coast and both valuable ports for trade, Weymouth and Portland have had their fair share of shipping disasters. Take the year 1857 and a peek into local papers reveals a concoction of calamities for those working the local waters. Even nowadays crowds love to stop and watch Weymouth’s town bascule bridge be raised to let…
Victorian Castletown, Portland…Matelots, Mariners and Mishaps.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, as much as I love the Isle of Portland, in all honesty I don’t know a great deal about it’s history, for that I defer to local historian and accomplished author, Stuart Morris. (image © West Dorset District Council Channel Coast Observatory) What I do enjoy is reading…
The Great Escape from Portland Prison 1868;
William though had an even stranger tale to tell, proceeding to enlighten the eager scribe of his past history, a ‘romantic’ tale about his daring escape from the dreaded Portland prison, boasting he had been the only man to escape. its grey forbidding walls.
Executions of Crabchurch Conspirators Upon The Nothe Headland.
Follow this link to Mark Vine’s excellent blog that covers Weymouth’s vital involvement in the English Civil War. The Executions of the Crabchurch Conspirators Upon The Nothe Headland.. I can highly recommend this book if you have a love of Weymouth’s history.
The Battle Of Weymouth 27th February 1645 : (Excerpt from ‘The Crabchurch Conspiracy’ by Mark Vine)
Originally posted on The Crabchurch Conspiracy:
William Sydenham had no idea when or indeed where the attack would come, he only knew that it was inevitable, and he made such preparations as he could to strengthen the defences of both towns in whatever time he had left to him. On the morning of the 27th…
Weymouth’s Tommy Atkins and Jolly Jacks.
Something that many of the younger generation might not realise but Weymouth has a long and fascinating history with the army and navy. Even during my own lifetime I can recall a certain ‘liveliness’ when hundreds of sailors would take their shore leave, hoards of men streaming along the esplanade heading for town, all eager to make the most of their…
The Siege of Melcombe.
Originally posted on The Crabchurch Conspiracy:
Today, 10th February 2015 marks the 370th anniversary of the commencement of the Siege of Melcombe. It lasted for almost a week and followed the surprise attack by Portlanders upon the two main forts of Weymouth. With superior numbers, ordnance and a massive height advantage, the Royalists were determined…
The Victorian Weymouth College….ghosts and gowns
There are certain buildings in and around Weymouth which I have passed on so many occasions in my lifetime that they just become yet another invisible part of the scenery, you no longer really see them…not properly. One such grandiose building stood down towards the bottom end of Dorchester Road, an imposing building which towered tall behind its…
Who’s for a Fancy Dress New Years Eve Ball ? 2014 or 1882 no matter…in Weymouth town it’s always been one big party!
From the title of my blog, you may or may not have guessed that I am lucky enough live in Weymouth, Dorset. I am extremely biased about my home town…o.k., so maybe it’s not perfect, but where is at the moment with the dire economic state of affairs. I could never live anywhere else, we…
VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND 