For the first twenty-four years of its existence the Editorial Committee of SDNQ met at ‘Aldon’, the home of John Batten, the Yeovil solicitor who was the driving force behind its establishment in 1888. He died in 1900 and after the death of his son in 1912, the Committee had to find somewhere else to meet. Rev. Edward Bates Harbin, a member of the Committee since 1898, offered Newton Surmaville, a Jacobean manor house on the outskirts of Yeovil which he had inherited in 1909.
The first Committee meeting held at Newton Surmaville was on 26 May 1914, after which members were entertained to lunch. The warm welcome and convivial hospitality offered by the family caused the meetings to be anticipated with pleasure. Rev. Bates Harbin died in 1918 but his widow, Hilda, continued to host the annual meetings. Her daughter, Sophia, joined the committee in 1933 and became a learned contributor to the Journal. After her marriage in 1940 her husband, Cosmo Rawlins also became involved in SDNQ, contributing pieces on Somerset families. The outbreak of the second World War brought about a break in Committee meetings; no meetings were held between 1939 and 1945. However, the Journal continued to be published, thanks to the single-minded dedication of the two Editors, and the Printer who struggled to secure adequate stocks of paper. In 1946 meetings at Newton Surmaville resumed with mother and daughter hosting. After the death of Hilda Bates Harbin in 1962, Sophie Rawlins moved back into the family home with her husband, at the same time assuming the role of Committee Chairman. Lunch was replaced with a sumptuous tea which became legendary.
In July 1988 Mrs Rawlins invited the Committee and subscribers to a Garden Party at Newton Surmaville to celebrate the centenary of SDNQ. A marquee on the lawn housed a magnificent spread and the ground floor and library of the house were open for members to explore. In 1991 Mrs Rawlins reluctantly retired as Chairman due to advancing age and failing eyesight, but continued to host the annual Committee meetings in her home. In recognition of her remarkable service to SDNQ, the Committee nominated her as their first Patron.
The last SDNQ Committee meeting to be held at Newton Surmaville was on 29 October 2005. The death of Sophie Rawlins at the age of 97 in August 2006 brought to an end her direct family line, and the house was put on the market for the first time since 1608, the date her ancestor Robert Harbin purchased the property.
It is quite likely that the long association between SDNQ and the Bates Harbin family and Newton Surmaville contributed to the longevity of the publication.
Ann Smith
Hon. Secretary
January 2020.
See also:
- History of SDNQ
- Former Editors & Committee Members
- Some thoughts on the history of SDNQ, by G.J. Davies
- The First SDNQ Minutes, 1917, by Michael McGarvie
- 100 Years of Somerset & Dorset Notes & Queries, 1888-1988, by C.R. Elrington
- SDNQ – The Formative Years, by Sophia Rawlins
- Indexing SDNQ, by Ann Smith and Mark Forrest