The Charltons Historical 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. We meet at 7.30 for 8pm - normally on the second Tuesday of each month. Our usual venue is now The Reading Room in Charlton Mackrell and refreshments are provided before each meeting. 

You can contact us via this website.

2012 MEETINGS

AGM - Tuesday 13th March - speaker tba


If you have any requests for speakers or local research topics please contact us


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.

He died at home in Charlton Adam on Boxing Day and will be greatly missed, not least by the many other archaeological and historical groups with which he was involved in Somerset (including the South Cadbury Environs Project, the Yeovil Archaeological and Local History Society, the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, the Western Front Association and the archaeology department at Strode College.

Duncan was also an important figure in our village life, notably as a Parish Councillor with a particular interest in footpaths and rights of way and as the organiser of the Poppy Appeal for the Royal British Legion.


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).