News

The programme for the Group’s event “A History of Dartmouth in Four Houses” at the Flavel on 18 November 2023 can be found here.  As part of the preparation for this event, a detailed guidance note has been produced on how to research the history of a house in Dartmouth.  To access it, please visit our Guidance and FAQs page.

Following the sad death on 19 September 2023 of Ray Freeman, a founder and first Chair of the DHRG in 1991, we have published a page dedicated to her memory, giving an account of her life and work.

One of our publications – “A Wrens-Eye View of Wartime Dartmouth” compiled by Ray Freeman – is no longer in print and is now available as a free-of-charge download from our Books page.

Several items have been added to the Archive, including

• cine films showing Dartmouth taken in 1947 and 1950 kindly made available by the Arnold family
• the 1831 and 1868 reports on the proposed boundary of the borough of Dartmouth as a parliamentary constituency, taking account of population, including maps.

The Dartmouth History Research Group is very sad to hear of the death last night of Ray Freeman, aged 99. Ray died peacefully at Lincombe Manor in Torquay where she had been looked after for the past few years. We extend our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

Ray was the founder and first chair of the Group. She was a history teacher and came to Devon in 1964. After retiring to Dartmouth, she devoted herself to researching the town’s history, publishing several books, notably “Dartmouth and its Neighbours: A History of the Port and its People” in 1990, updated in 2007. In 1991 she brought together a group of friends and colleagues interested in exploring local history and became the first chair of the Group. Under her leadership the Group made rapid progress – Ray wrote several books for the Dartmouth History Research Group on a wide range and topics and was involved in preparing and editing others. When the Group’s website was first set up she made much of her extensive collection of research material freely available for others to use.

Ray has left the Group a tremendous legacy in her extensive published work and in all her painstaking and careful research. Everyone interested in the rich history and heritage of Dartmouth and the surrounding area will continue to benefit from her hard work and very considerable achievement.

Dartmouth Then Dartmouth Now, by Hilary Sunman and Peter Prynn, was first published by DHRG in 2016, charting the transformation of Dartmouth’s shops and businesses since the 1960s. An updated second edition now looks at what happened next, after towns closed and people were locked down during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their conclusion is that Dartmouth continues both to change and thrive, with unique integrity and resilience. For further information, go to DHRG Books.

Harry Inder is recognised in Dartmouth as inventor of the town’s first motor car. But that’s not Harry’s only achievement. Barry Inder, his grandson, has been researching Harry’s wider contribution to Dartmouth’s shipbuilding and engineering history, and his other significant inventions. To read our latest article about Harry, please click here, or search the Archive for “Harry Inder”.

The Dartmouth History Research Group marks with great sadness the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Earlier this year the Queen celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession on 6th February 2022. To mark her Platinum Jubilee, DHRG researched the history of Royal Jubilees, and how they were celebrated in Dartmouth. To read the article, go to the “Social History” archive category where you will find it in the “Historic Events” section, or put 103194 in the search box.

The Dartmouth History Research Group is delighted to announce the publication of When War Came To The Dart, by Hilary Sunman and Gail Ham. The book is the Group’s fortieth publication in thirty years and marks the 75th anniversary in 2020 of the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Many members have contributed to the book, which brings together material from the Group’s earlier publications about aspects of the war, with memories of local people and some new research, to tell the fascinating and dramatic story of the impact on local people of nearly six years of war.

Eight chapters tell the story of war in the Dart within a broadly chronological approach: preparations for civil defence and the experience of evacuation; the impact of the catastrophe of 1940; defences implemented in response to the invasion threat; the growing contribution of forces based in the Dart to the “Secret War” and the naval war in the Channel; the effects of German bombing raids 1940-1943; the arrival of US forces in the area in 1943 and the preparations for D-day (including Exercise Tiger); and the final phase of the conflict from the D-day landings in 1944 to eventual victory in 1945. The last chapter traces the local impact of the global conflict through names commemorated on local war memorials.

Drawing on a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, and including some previously unpublished material, the book provides a vivid local perspective on the war through the memories of local people and extracts from contemporary accounts such as newspapers, diaries and letters, combined with official records such as war diaries. A bibliography sets out the principal sources.

The 284 page book is in A5 paperback format, printed and bound to high quality standards, and features approximately 30 pages of photographs, maps and other illustrations.

How to Buy

When War Came To The Dart is on sale in the Dartmouth Museum, (the Butterwalk, Duke Street), the Dartmouth Community Bookshop (12 Higher Street), the Tourist Information Centre (Mayor’s Avenue), Browser Books (3 Foss Street) and Torre Records (6 The Old Market).

It can also be ordered directly from this website, price £10.00 (£7.00 to members of the Group). To buy, please contact us by email at enquiries@dartmouth-history.org.uk

The Group have been compiling a directory of the Dartmouth shops from the early 1900’s to the present day, based on information from early Directories, memories of older Dartmothians and recent records.The shops are recorded by street names and numbers where known. Separate files are included for north, central and south Dartmouth. Note that this database is still being compiled and is not yet complete.