History society

Sir, – From small beginnings 30-years-ago the Alderson Family History Society has now over 250 members. They are a one name society, which means that anyone with an interest in the family or the name can join. The society has an extensive database of information which enables many members to link up their families. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, the society donated £2,500 to the North Yorkshire County Record Office to transcribe one of the books of the Muker and Healaugh Manorial Court Records. These records detail the day to day transactions of the Manor Court which controlled the transfer of property and the use of the common lands in upper Swaledale. They also recorded the transgressions of the various tenant farmers. The court records start in 1686 and, in a reduced form, continued until 1925. When these records are in digital format they will be available, not just for our own research, but also for the general public to browse. As we are a charity, we aim to provide a public benefit where we can. It is expected that the staff at the record office will take up to a year to complete the painstaking work. Further information on the society can be found on the web site www.afhs.org