Recent Posts

We are now looking forward to welcoming Terry Bracher giving his presentation of “Early Crime and Punishment” on Friday 27th March at the Dilton Memorial Hall 7.30 pm. Terry is an experienced archivist at the Chippenham History Centre who will no doubt have a wide range of interesting facts on just how the law dealt with those found guilty in past centuries.

As previously mentioned the history society have an “Open Day” booked for Saturday the 25th April at the Dilton Memorial Hall between 10.00 AM and 2.00 PM. This will give visitors an opportunity to view some of the societies maps, photos, historical records  and artefacts found during previous activities.

Of particular interest we will have available for inspection records from a local builder “Parsons Brothers’ Builders Contractors, Wheelrights, and Undertakers”. These records contain not only details on various building contracts taking place in Dilton but in addition records of coffins being made and supplied from January 1878 up to December 1894. These records on most occasions include family names, dates of death, age of deceased, together with types of coffin and costs. Many of the family names are still to be found in Dilton Marsh. Looking through them brings home just how vulnerable children were in those immediate post Dickensian years, to what in truth were common illnesses.

On 22th May 7.30 pm at the Dilton Memorial Hall we have the return to look forward to of author ”Nicola Tallis” who will be introducing her latest title “Uncrowned Queen” The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort Tudor Matriarch. As many will remember, on Nicola’s previous she gave a wonderful introduction to one of her earlier publications, ”The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys Countess of Leicester”. When you consider Nicolas usual venues and standing I think our society can consider themselves particularly fortunate.

Graham Noble