The Charltons Historical Society 
The Society collects, transcribes and makes available information,
memories, maps, photographs, etc relating to the history of our
villages. We also organise meetings with speakers on subjects of local
or more general historical interest.
You can contact us via this website.
Our 2015 AGM took place
on Monday 16th March at 7 for 7.30pm
in the skittle alley room at the Fox & Hounds in Charlton Adam
This included a short presentation and discussion about the sculptor Charles Summers and other families who emigrated from The Charltons in the mid-19th century.
In 2015 we have been commemorating the centenaries of the The Charltons' WW1 casualties on the Society's Facebook page.
2014 MEETINGS Monday 16th June - a garden party and local history Q&A session 6.30-8.30pmMonday 12th May "Indoor - Outdoor: Servants at Lytes Cary" - an illustrated talk by Sarah Villiers, held in the Charlton Mackrell Reading Room at 7 for 7.30pm The Society's first meeting of 2014, on 10th March, was our AGM and a discussion about researching "The Charltons in World War One" using material from our archives and other sources. This was held in the skittle alley function room of The Fox & Hounds in Charlton Adam but skittles is currently very popular here and so our meeting venues are liable to vary during the year. Membership and meeting fees are unchanged for 2014: Membership £5 plus £1 at each meeting - £2.50 for a visitor at a speaker meeting |
Our final meeting in 2013 was "Portable Antiquities and Treasure"
a talk by Rob Webley, Finds Liaison Officer for Somerset, on
Monday 18th November.
On Monday 21st October our meeting was on "Shops and Businesses in The Charltons"
On Monday 16th September Bob Croft of the Somerset Historic Environment Service gave an illustrated talk on “The changing map of Roman Somerset”
(including reference to Roman mosaics discovered in South Somerset, which are of
particular local interest as some have been found to include tesserae
made of the blue lias stone quarried in The Charltons)
Tuesday 11th June - a talk by Sarah Villiers about "VILLAGE SCHOOLING IN SOMERSET" with a display on the history of our village school including some of the early logbooks
The membership fee for 2013 was £5 plus £1 at each meeting
Our 2012 AGM took place on 13th March in the Reading Room. Although there was no outside speaker, village history information from recent research at The National Archives was presented - this included 19th century military attestations; the 1798 land tax assessments; the 1910 Valuation survey; and the WW2 Farm Survey. It had become increasingly difficult to arrange appropriate speakers for meetings and it was decided that the Society should scale back activities and have no membership fees for 2012. Booksales and responses to website or local enquiries continued. |
Membership for 2011 was £10 per year or £2.50 for visitors to a meeting.
Meetings in 2011 were:
Our AGM - at the first meeting on February 8th, when we also looked at AERIAL PHOTOS of The Charltons from 1947
Tuesday March 8th - "Find your families in the 19th century censuses"
Tuesday April 5th - Zaida Haworth "Do your own detective work"
Tuesday 10th May - Ann Heeley " The Somerset Voices oral history archive"
Tuesday 14th June - Jane de Gruchy "Researching the history of your house"
Tuesday 13th September - Records of young offenders in C19 Somerset
Tuesday 11th October - The NADFAS record for Charlton Adam Church
Our last meeting in 2010 was on 9th November, with Grahame Deane of Somerton Mill talking about the work of SPAB - The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
Meetings in 2009 included:
Monday 26th January - our AGM and a talk by volunteers from the South Cadbury Environs Project about their archaeological work and the important contribution of our late Chairman, Duncan Black (see below).
Monday 23rd February - a talk and discussion on the history and natural history of Green Down, with volunteers from the Somerset Wildlife Trust.
Monday 30th March - Mrs Denny Robbins, of the Somerset Vernacular Building Research Group, which studies and records houses and other buildings in Somerset villages, particularly those built in the local style and of local materials.
Tuesday 5th May - a presentation on the 1911 Census and the newly-released information about the inhabitants of The Charltons from this census.
Tuesday 9th June - a presentation by Mike Bolton on "Hidden Somerset Revealed"
Tuesday 14th July - a talk by Mary Siraut on Clarks and the development of Street
Tuesday 8th September - Moira Gittos will talk about the Fleet Air Arm Museum Archives, to which our late Chairman, Duncan Black, was a significant contributor
Saturday 13th September - Heritage Open Day at Lytes Cary, with displays on the results of the landscape research and information about local families and sources.
Tuesday 13th October - a talk by Grahame Deane of Somerton Watermill on Mills and Waterpower
Tuesday 10th November - Photos, Maps and other items from our Society archives
It is with great regret and sadness that The Charltons Historical Society and the Lytes Cary Landscape Research Project team announce the sudden death of Duncan Black, our Society Chairman and good friend. Following a service at Yeovil Crematorium on 14/1/09, a Memorial Service for Duncan was held at 2.30pm on Tuesday 20th January at Charlton Adam Church attended by many friends, family and colleagues.
Meetings in 2008 included: an illustrated talk from the volunteers researching the landscape history of Lytes Cary for the National Trust - including Thomas Lyte's Commonplace Book of 1611; a talk on the Rural Life Museum at Glastonbury (and some Victorian recipes) by Zaida Haworth; a talk on "Somerset Castles" by Robert Dunning; "The truth behind the Da Vinci Code" by Bill Putnam; Arthur Thring talking about his memories of Charlton House and life in The Charltons last century; a talk on "Wills" by Mary Siraut; "Sundials" by Jane & Peter Walker; and a meeting about our research and transcription work.
Meetings in 2007 included: the history of the Somerton Waterworks near Lytes Cary and families who worked there; the recent renovation work at Lytes Cary House; Mary Siraut on the Dickinson family of Kingweston and the introduction of new farming methods in the early 19th century; Jean Harper of the South Somerset Heritage Centre on the Gloving industry; a historical walk around Somerton; Church Bells and Bell-ringing by Michael Horseman; Ben Vessey, Head of History at Millfield School; and our Chairman on WW2 buildings in Yeovil and area (replacing a postponed talk by John Dallimore of the Somerset Vernacular Buildings Research Group).