Well…that time of year is almost upon us again, when everyone scurries around filling their baskets and trollies with a seemingly bizarre amount of food and goodies. Perhaps it’ll be a good time to take a peek back into history, see what sort of Weymouth our ancestors were living in, the everyday lives of the townsfolk…
The Travellers Troubles; The James Romany Family
One thing I really enjoy about my blogs ramblings is that I never quite know in what direction they’ll take me next. I love the fact that people often contacted me from all around the world. Some telling me that I’ve written about a long lost ancestor of theirs or about a place they once lived. Sometimes…
Trouble and strife…I’ve done for me wife! Weymouth 1895
On a beautiful clear but chilly Monday in January of 1895 a terrible scene took place on the normally peaceful Weymouth esplanade, one that shocked those out enjoying an afternoon strolling in the crisp days sunshine. Early that morning two persons ‘of a certain class,’ (according to the magistrate,) had boarded the train from their home town…
Shopping in St Mary Street at the turn of the century:Part 2.
It’s an usually hot and sunny autumns day on Weymouth esplanade and Mrs Vearee Nozee is busy gathering together her flock of female friends. They are off for another little jolly, a short stroll to peruse a few more of the shops in St Mary St. The gaggle of giggling ladies make their way down…
Shopping in St Mary Street at the turn of the century:Part 1.
Over the next few posts on here I’m going to take you for a stroll down through old Weymouth town, starting off in St Mary Street. Our visit will take place at the turn of the century; Queen Victoria’s long reign is about to come to an end with her sad demise and her son Edward…
The Portland Shooting 1898.
Right throughout the whole of time certain laws of the human universe remained constant. One of those being that no amount of wealth, social standing and prosperity could ever guarantee happiness. So it was for one Weymouth hard working family. William and Martha Lumley owned and ran an established, well respected Weymouth business. They were the proud owners…
Victorian Weymouth; sea bathing, from starkers to stilettos….
I had previously written about the habit of nude sea bathing in places like Weymouth during the Victorian era, but thought as it was summer, and the Weymouth beach packed with locals and visitors during what has been a lovely season weather wise so far, it might be a chance to share some of the…
The Great Eastern links to Weymouth and Portland Roads.
I have spent years studying the lives of military men based at the Nothe in Weymouth during the Victorian era and in the course of sifting through old newspapers have uncovered many other fascinating snippets of Weymouth and Portland life that I hadn’t known about. One advantage to being based high up on the Nothe,…
Beauty is within the eye of the beholder….so it was then, so it is now, and for ever more shall be .
I was debating what to do my next blog on when I became sidetracked by a lively discussion going on in a Facebook group that i belong to. The first discussion, that was becoming a little heated concerned three new sculptures by artist Andy Kirby that had recently been unveiled in Weymouth. Some loved them, some hated…
Misdemeanours and misfits in the Victorian courts; 1863.
I just love to browse the old newspapers and see what our ancestors were up to. The papers columns are filled with intriguing snippets of their daily lives, the usual hatch, match and dispatches, arrivals and departures, accidents and fights, and the misfortunes of those whose day to day activities managed to fall foul of…
VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND 