The paintings, which are part of the collections belonging to South Somerset District Council, are kept at the Community Heritage Access Centre at Lufton in Yeovil. This new heritage facility was first opened in 2004 with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant and provides top class storage and access. The paintings can be viewed by making an appointment using the contact details supplied at the back of this book. The Council also runs the Museum of South Somerset in the centre of Yeovil.

The origin of these collections lay in a museum inspired by Alderman W. R. E. Mitchelmore, Mayor of Yeovil 1918–1921. Further support from Alderman Henry Stiby and Mr William Wyndham enabled the town to provide a museum above the former public library in King George Street, in 1928. In 1965 the museum and collections transferred to its present site in the Old Coach House of Hendford Manor. In 1991 the museum was extensively refurbished before being renamed the Museum of South Somerset.

The oil paintings form a small part of the art collections and mainly comprise illustrations of Somerset scenes and portraits of people associated with South Somerset, together with works by artists connected with the district by birth or residence.

Of particular note are a group of portraits depicting the members of prominent glover’s families. These include Thomas Dampier (1801–1876) and his wife Elizabeth Dampier (1807–1881), who also was the daughter of William Bide, another local glover. Portraits of Thomas William Dampier-Bide (1844–1916) and Elizabeth Dampier-Bide (1840–1915) continue the tradition. Gloving was one of Yeovil and South Somerset’s main industries up until the early twentieth century. These paintings are one of a suite of significant collections including hand tools, machinery, patterns, archives, photographs and gloves, held at the Community Heritage Access Centre, which record the heritage of the gloving industry or ‘Great Trade’ as it has been described locally.

David Hill, Visitor Services Manager, South Somerset District Council