Dorchester, Dorset

Dorchester is the county town of Dorset and the seat of local government. It is situated 16 miles south-west of Blandford, 15 miles east of Bridport and 8 miles north of Weymouth, and built on the river Frome. The town was founded by the Romans who named it Durnovaria after their victory over the iron age hill fort of Maiden Castle close by. Their strongest town in the south it lay on the great Roman road Via Iceniana. Remains of the town wall they built suggests this enclosed some 80 acres but a great part of the remains were leveled or destroyed in constructing the present 'walks' around the town.

Resources

• Town Council
• Dorchester on Wikipedia
• Dorchester Online Parish Clerk
• Dorchester on BHO
• Dorchester Strays, a list of People from Dorchester found in other Parish Registers (1597-1894)
• Vision of Britain
• Dorset Churches: Dorchester (All Saints)
• Dorset Churches: Dorchester (Holy Trinity RC)
• Dorset Churches: Dorchester (St. Mary)
• Dorset Churches: Dorchester (St. Peter)
• Mayo; The municipal records of the borough of Dorchester, Dorset contains transcriptions of many varied documents including apprenticeship records, records of the Free School, early land transactions and wills.