Ward Lock's Guide To Weymouth Portland Dorchester Lulworth Swanage Sherborne 1920-21

Walk in Your Ancestors' Footsteps: Unlock Their World in 1920s Dorset

Have you found your Dorset ancestors on the 1921 census? You have their names, ages, and occupations, but the story doesn't end there. What was their world really like?

Step beyond the names and dates and immerse yourself in the vibrant, post-war world they inhabited with this beautiful, high-quality digital replica of Ward Lock's Guide to Weymouth & South Dorset, 1920-21.

This isn't just a travel guide; it's a time machine and an indispensable tool for any family historian with roots in this stunning part of England. It provides the rich social and geographical context that transforms your family tree from a collection of facts into a living, breathing story.

Why This Guide is a Genealogist's Goldmine:

Pinpoint Ancestral Locations: Explore detailed street maps of Weymouth, Dorchester, and other key towns. Find the exact street where your great-grandparents lived, worked, or shopped, and see how the town layout has changed (or stayed the same).

Discover Where They Worked & Shopped: The guide is packed with contemporary advertisements for local businesses—from solicitors, doctors, and builders to grocers, drapers, and innkeepers. Did your ancestor run a small shop? Work for a local tradesman? You might just find their business listed here.

Understand Their Daily Life: Read descriptions of local transport, including railway timetables and steamboat excursions. See the hotels, pubs, and tea rooms where they might have socialized. Learn about the cost of living and the local economy in the aftermath of the Great War.

Bring Their Community to Life: Discover the landmarks that were the backdrop to their lives. Learn the history of the churches where they were baptised, married, or buried. Find out about the local schools their children attended and the civic buildings that were at the heart of the community.

Add Rich Colour to Your Family History: Was your ancestor from Portland? Read about the famous stone quarries. From Lyme Regis? Discover the town's history as a haven for fossil hunters. This guide provides the "colour commentary" for your family's story.

A Glimpse Inside:

Imagine your ancestor walking along Weymouth's Georgian seafront, taking the ferry across the harbour to Portland, or travelling by motor charabanc to the dramatic ruins of Corfe Castle. This guide allows you to see the world through their eyes, at a pivotal moment in history when the world was emerging from war and stepping into a new decade.