24


Still Thriving at Thirty 1991


– the year when the Soviet Union


collapsed, the Cold War ended, and the Gulf War began; and in Dartmouth, on 1st


October, the


Dartmouth History Research Group held its first meeting. Although other groups and societies are older – the Old Dartmothians will be 100 in 2023, and the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society will be 70 in 2029, to name but two – getting to thirty seems pretty good for a small not-for-profit community and voluntary group! It seemed a good moment to look back at DHRG’s own history. It was Ray Freeman who


first brought together people interested in exploring the history of Dartmouth. Ray, a history teacher, had come to Devon in 1964. After retiring to Dartmouth, she published the first edition of “Dartmouth and its Neighbours: A History of the Port and its People” in 1990. But with Dartmouth’s rich and varied history, there was still a lot to discover. As Dartmouth Museum at that time arranged history lectures, the Group agreed to concentrate on research – hence the name – and making local historical material available to everyone. That remains our focus today. Under Ray’s leadership,


progress was rapid - by the end of 1993 there were ten books in print. To help the growing number of people interested in family history, the Group began collecting and transcribing documents such as parish registers and census returns, which were put in Dartmouth Library. However, by 1999 “a major problem for the Group was how to share and organise information as more people acquired their


own computers.” Combined with the emergence of the world wide web in the mid-1990s, a revolution was underway affecting historical research like everything else. So in 2003, under new Chairman


Irene O’Shea, the Group began a major project, “Access to Archives.” With money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, all the information members had collected, including much newly-recorded oral history, was brought together in a new website, “The Dartmouth Archives”, at www.dartmouth-history.org.uk. After a huge collective effort, led by Wally Fleet, longstanding member and the Group’s third Chairman, the website went live in 2007, enabling people all over the world to access Dartmouth’s history. Much family history information is now available from commercial websites, but our website remains free to the user, and includes unique local material, available nowhere else. By 2011, the Group’s 20th


birthday, there were 35 books available, many of which continue to sell (those out of print can be downloaded free from the website). This summer, we published our


by Gail Ham


fortieth book, “When War Came to the Dart”, an account of the Dart’s role in the Second World War and of those who lived, served and are commemorated here. We’ve been working on the project for over two years. Several members and others who were children in Dartmouth during the war contributed their memories and their knowledge; and, as well as doing new research, Hilary Sunman and I benefited greatly from previous DHRG publications and all the information collected by the Group. The book is thus a testament to DHRG’s achievements over the last thirty years. Alongside the website and the


books, members of the Group have written many articles for newspapers, magazines – most recently in By The Dart – and journals. There have also been many collaborative projects with other local groups and organisations – our contribution to the town’s Mayflower 400 Heritage Trails in 2020 is one recent example. What of the future? We’re


always delighted to welcome new members, and membership is free. You can research any aspect of local history that interests you and contribute in whatever way suits you best. You don’t need qualifications, and you can learn as you go along – all that’s needed is enthusiasm, patience, perseverance and an enquiring mind! In my experience, there’s always more to discover and the more you find out, the more you’ll want to know! So why not come along? You can help to make history!


To find out more, have a look at our website www.dartmouth-history.org.uk or contact us on enquiries@dartmouth-history.org.uk


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