AA Collier became interested in local history when she began walking the local coastal paths, past the hill forts, ancient churches, farms, disused quarries, and local villages. Her fascination led her deeper and deeper into the who, what and when of Weymouth and its neighbours’ past. After five years of careful research, the result is From The Stone Age to King George III: The History of Weymouth and its Neighbours, which offers a fascinating look at the story of the community from “the beginning”.
Illustrated with rich images, many of which have never been published before, Weymouth’s story is written in the context of national history and helps the reader understand just how important the local community was to the nation as a whole.
Weymouth and its neighbours acted as a military recruiting centre for many wars…saw the arrival of the Vikings, the Spanish Armada, the French fleet, pirates, and the plague… experienced thousands of years of religious fervour…was a national centre for quarrying…was torn apart by the Civil War…witnessed the struggles over who would wear the crown…hosted centuries of international trade… and oh so much more!
Although the story features many famous and infamous kings and queens to include Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Edward III, and George III, to name a few, it is also about the average man and woman who helped create a vibrant, eccentric and sometimes violent community; they were also the people who built the ships, fought back at, and worked with, the pirates, sailed for the New World, and helped create a rich international economy.
This book also discusses our “lost villages”, Melcombe’s forgotten Dominican friary, the local Celts, Tudor poor laws, Weymouth’s “bloody assizes”, life on Medieval Portland, Weymouth’s contributions to the New World, even the foods local people grew and ate!
Anne Collier
