Tales from the Front (25) recounts the life of George Collins, a native of Victorian Bournemouth who fought in World War I. Before the war, he had joined the regular army, serving with the 4th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, in India. They had returned to Europe as the BEF increased its numbers for the winter campaign in Western Europe. Sergeant Collins, a successful man from a successful family, fell at St Eloi early in March 1915.
Tales from the Front (24) traces the intertwined fates of Erasmus and William Trickett, two young labourers whose lives ended at Ypres in 1915. Their reconstructed story reveals how inherited customs, closed networks, and local identity struggled against the pressures of modernity, migration, and industrial conflict. Thus, through genealogy, social history, and battlefield detail, the narrative shows how war accelerated change and reshaped families whose futures once seemed secure.
Tales from the Front (23) tells the story of Thomas Avey Dix, a native of Victorian Bournemouth, who fought in the Great War. A professional soldier, he served with the 2nd Dorsets in India before coming with them to invade Mesopotamia (Iraq) in 1914. The official records list Private Dix’s demise as November 19th, two days after the expeditionary force won a significant victory at Sahil.
Tales from the Front (8) tells the story of George Robert Newman, Bournemouth-born, who fought in the Great War. His unit, the 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, belonged to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps. Newman, 19, fell on September 17th, 1914, during the Battle of the Aisne.
Victorian Bournemouth (259) traces how the greenfield Bourne Valley became a County Borough within sixty years. Local leaders and groups guided the community through various challenges, promoting unity beyond religion, politics, and puritanism. The example of the Chrysanthemum Society demonstrated cooperation between classes to create successful events, such as flower shows. Ultimately, the “Fountain” vision prevailed over the “Stream,” although the stream continues through the valley.
Victorian Bournemouth (257) analyses Thomas Hankinson’s res gestae speech, delivered at the conclusion of his mayoral tenure. The address summarised the year’s accomplishments with professionalism and clarity. Hankinson emphasised the commercial and social factors underpinning Bournemouth’s growth. As an influential figure in the town’s development, his actions and remarks presented a distinct alternative to prevailing models of privilege and paternalism. Hankinson advocated modernisation, ongoing improvement, and the increasing importance of civic governance.
Victorian Bournemouth (256) describes how the resort went through significant social changes after the mid-1800s. The old Arcadian world—where the gentry received automatic respect from those of lower status—disappeared. Instead, a merit-based town emerged, where successful individuals saw respectability as just as valuable as gentility. Reverend Pretyman’s awkward efforts at social engineering only highlighted the transformations taking place in Bournemouth.
Victorian Bournemouth (249) reports on a notable concentration of Anglo-Indian individuals listed by the 1901 census for Boscombe, Bournemouth. These individuals, most native to the Madras and Bombay Presidencies, shared common social characteristics: involvement in colonial administration or commerce, and a transient lifestyle within the British Empire. While some family connections have emerged, more may have existed. After 1901, some continued their travels while others settled in Bournemouth, drawn perhaps by its idealised English atmosphere, a reflection of their own complex cultural identities.
Victorian Bournemouth (247) has discussed the main subjects covered by the last quarter’s articles. They dealt with the overall subject of commercial life. It provided examples of success and failure among local companies. It highlighted changes within the scale of enterprise, much of it now conducted by companies operating on a national scale. Changes also occurred because of technological improvements. This created challenges, which Bournemouth companies did not always overcome. Changes in commerce also created opportunities for individuals to advance. Some proved successful (shop girls), others less so (carpenters’ strike).
Victorian Bournemouth (246) has speculated that, during the 1890s, the community position attainable by bank managers changed. Hitherto, perhaps seen as akin almost to the gentry, managers had enjoyed a special place within their communities. The increased and systematic development within banking, however, may have made it harder for managers to attain such a position. At Bournemouth, however, during the 1890s, the population of bank managers appears to have included managers of both types.