Dorset Family History Society will be meeting on Monday 14th May 2018 at St John’s Church Centre Hall, Ashley Road (opposite Waitrose), Upper Parkstone, Poole, BH14 0AA. Doors open at 19.30 for 20.00 start. Everyone welcome. Entry is £2 to include refreshments.
STUART MORRIS will be giving a talk entitled ‘A POTTED HISTORY OF THE ISLAND AND ROYAL MANOR OF PORTLAND’.
Despite its size, the ‘Island’ of Portland has acquired a reputation that is unique in the British Isles. Less than 10 miles square, a solid block of limestone jutting out into the Channel, Portland’s virtual isolation until early in the 19th century delayed change and gave its inhabitants a highly individual character. For centuries, quarrying, fishing and farming were its principal occupations, not to mention smuggling. Shipwrecks were plundered, and women did not take a husband until pregnant. Portland has been a royal manor since Saxon times, even today it remains one of the last strongholds of open-field farming. It was fought over during the Civil War. Its quarries have provided the stone for some of Britain’s most famous buildings, as well as its lighthouses, breakwaters and prisons. Its importance as a naval base and the impact of the two World Wars have further enriched its character, leaving a legacy that is still visible today. More recently it has been designated part of the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, played host to the 2012 Sailing Olympics, and seen the growth of a broader-based economy, in which tourism and leisure are playing an increasingly important part.
Stuart was born on Portland and is undoubtedly the Royal Manor’s most distinguished contemporary historian. As well as his work as an author he has built up a major collection of photographs and illustrations relating to Portland. His interest in Portland was fostered by the discovery of his family’s involvement with quarrying, Portland Breakwater, fishing and even smuggling! He was a Dorset County Councillor for 12 years and has served as Portland Town Mayor.
For more details visit our website
www.dorsetfhs.org.uk, phone 01202 785623 or email
contact@dorsetfhs.org.uk.
