At the end of the First World War, Joseph Henry Warner, journalist with the Western Gazette newspaper, put out an appeal for essays detailing the contribution parishes had made to the war effort. 172 of these returns survive at the Somerset Heritage Centre and provide amazing detail on the county’s war effort, all of them proving to be a very valuable resource for those conducting research for the First World War centenary.
Just over 100 years later in this Platinum Jubilee year the Somerset Archives and Local Studies Service, part of the South West Heritage Trust, are putting out a similar appeal to ask you to send us portraits of your parish, something which will mark your parish’s place at this unique moment in history and to provide future generations of Somerset with information on our communities.
We aren’t looking for a history of the parish, we have lots of that already, but a snapshot of your parish today, a celebration of what makes your parish special in 2022. Things which you may wish to include could be:
• Local shops and business
• Services and facilities
• Clubs, societies, and village past times
• Schools and pre-schools
• Environmental initiatives
• Modern day traditions
• The effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on your community, and how has your community come together to support each other
• How your parish is marking the Jubilee
We are happy to receive your portrait as an essay, as a scrapbook, or a combination of the two – surprise us! If you are including photographs please label and date them where possible and please do not include any personal information such as addresses as we wish to make them available for research. We would also ask that the copyright of all the content, including photographs, be transferred to the South West Heritage Trust and for the portraits to be gifted to us.
Our five favourite portraits will be featured on the South West Heritage Trust website and on our social media pages.
Bring or post your submissions to: Accessions Archivist, Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, TA2 6SF, or email to somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk, and please submit them by the end of July 2022.
We would really love your parish to take part to help paint a picture of Somerset to mark the Platinum Jubilee year, and to give credit to your community and all that it does and achieves.
Please do contact us if you have any questions and we look forward to receiving your Jubilee Parish Portraits.