Bradpole, Dorset

Triggering memories.

We were clearing the last furniture from my mother's bungalow a few weeks ago. A heartbreaking task, having lost her in April. Behind the last set of drawers, on the floor, I found an old sepia photograph. It showed a group of children with some adults, outside a building which must have been a chapel or a school. From the clothes... [more]

Haywards of Loders - family tree search

Hello from Australia to Loders,

Researching on-line family Thomas Hayward, m Mary Anne Dodge 1808 November in Sherborne church. Already one gggg cousin Jill Hayward left an entry but has not made contact. Another gggg cousin Ingrid Wilson in Wallingford, Berkshire has made contact via this website.

Thomas's son John went to farm in Englefield, Berkshire and is my... [more]

Haywards of Loders

Wondering if anyone knows of Hayward family, buried in the churchyard surrounds, that farmed in the Loders area back to at least 1750 or further back.  Any info for family tree welcome.

haywards of loders

John (1813) moved to Berkshire.  Thomas (1787), Robert (1759) and John(1738) are all connected to Loders by being born, baptised, married and buried here, or in surrounding villages.  Their ancestral home one might say.  Still tracing them further via Dorset OPC and BT records.  Collecting any photos related to these ancestors of mine and where they lived.  Photos bring back happy... [more]

Visitation Convent Bridport

Since my blog of 2007 concerning my time as a boarder at the Visitation Convent school 1942-1947, I have noted with interest that other former pupils (though not from the years I was there) have commented on their experiences of the place. Mostly, their memories are sad and bitter ones. It has made me think back again at my years there.... [more]

The Convent in Bridport

I was disturbed to read the Memory posted in early September from a contemporary about our common primary school, Bridport Visitation Convent. It was reprinted in the Bridport News of October 1st so needs to be balanced I feel. That gentleman clearly doesn't remember his time there with relish but I wonder why he didn't put his schooldays into the context... [more]

VISITATION CONVENT

I was sent to the Visitation Convent at the age of 6 and was there for four terrible years. Like others who have written their memories of their time at the school, for me it was a very severe, cruel, harsh enviroment, devoid of any love or affection from the nuns. The punishments were frequent, for messing my pants or wetting... [more]

The Convent of the Visitation

I was a boarder there for about a year aged about nine or ten in about 1957. It was the unhappiest period of my life before or since. I don’t recall a moment of kindness, sympathy, or humanity from any of the nuns. As a lonely rejected child I received nothing from them but harshness, punishments, and cruelty. And I was... [more]