A CELEBRATED Dorset historian, author and former magistrate who devoted decades of his life to serving the community has passed away aged 90.

Terry Hearing died peacefully surrounded by family at his home in the village of Martinstown, where he lived for 54 years. A master story-teller, Mr Hearing made a significant contribution to the canon of Dorset history and was a founder of the annual Clinton Grassby lecture at Thomas Hardye school. He served with the Royal Marines and was renowned for his efforts as a fundraiser, which included organising lively history-in-costume nights.

Terry's son Trevor Hearing shared an excerpt of one of his father's books, in which the author recounted his exploits hitch-hiking to Weymouth in his scout uniform, around the time of D-Day:

"A convoy of trucks came by. The American soldiers reached over, grabbed us by our rucksacks and hauled us up. There was no light other than the moon, the beach was covered in landing craft and the only sound was that of a sentry as he sang Is you is or is you ain’t my baby".

Following his national service with the Marines, Terry Hearing embarked on his academic career, studying History at Queen Mary’s College, London, where he met his wife Margaret.

Trevor Hearing recounts some of his father's early antics at university.

He said: "To pay his way through university (my father) worked as an ice-man, supplying ice to customers without fridges - including the kitchen of Buckingham Palace... this job brought him a slice of the actual Coronation cake in 1953."

Finding his vocation as an academic, Terry Hearing later became head of History at East Barnet Grammar School in London, until the growing Hearing family moved to Martinstown in 1966 and he took up a post as a principal lecturer at Weymouth College.

Much of Terry’s life was devoted to service to others through the Rotary Club of Dorchester, which in 2013 recognised his four decades of work in fund-raising and local history research. He was chairman of Winterbourne St Martin Parish Council (1989-1995), chairman of the governing body of the Winterbourne Valley School (1980-1986), as well as being chairman of the Garden and Craft Society, "despite - or perhaps because - he had no expertise in either," Trevor Hearing muses.

He said his father is "famous" for organising his history-in-costume nights for charity, including ‘Up Durnovaria’ set in Roman Dorchester, as well as being the author of the 'History On Your Doorstep' series of books about Dorchester, the proceeds of which went the Rotary Foundation.

Justice and the law featured strongly in Terry's life: on moving to Dorset he became a prison visitor at HMP Dorchester and HMP The Verne, and he sat as a magistrate for 22 years on the west Dorset Bench. Mr Hearing also served on the Dorset Probation Committee (1985-1995) and the national Central Council of Probation Committees, and for some years was a member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Dorset, as well as helping to train future magistrates in Dorset.

Terry combined his talents for history, the law, and story-telling in his academic and popular writing. In The Dorset Quarter Sessions Order Book: 1625-1638 he translated the misdeeds of the people of Dorchester and surrounding villages of almost 400 years ago from the original Latin text.

Trevor Hearing recalls how his father was fond of quoting the case of Widow Gaye, who was an ale-house keeper and brewer of Wimborne: "People were worried about the way she was brewing her ale and the fire risks, because the chimney she used in the kitchen was made of wood and her house was thatched.

"While the case was being heard, lo and behold, her house caught fire."

The author's more recent volumes include A History of Dorset in 101 Objects, and Crime and Punishment in Dorset. His research inspired both Terry and Margaret, with others, to establish the Dorchester Association for Research into Local History and Archaeology, and over the years he contributed to researching stories for many of the Dorchester community plays.

Terry Hearing was married with two sons and five grandchildren. Paying tribute to his father, Trevor Hearing said he will be 'sadly missed and fondly remembered.'