History of The Society 50 Golden Years

Origins  |  To the Millennium  | C21 Milestones  |  Officers (1976-)

The following accounts of the history of the first 25 years are extracted from the excellent Millennium Booklet produced by Barbara Smith

Origins

The most appropriate opening must surely be a quote from Margaret Russell, who has been the Society's Secretary from the beginning:

"The Society was founded in a very simple manner. Cumbrian exiles like myself who had met from time to time in my home asked me to start a Cumbrian F.H.S. On 29th September 1976 I travelled to Carlisle and met the late Alan Brocklebank and the late Rev. Benjamin Simpson. Over coffee we agreed to found the Society and decided on a subscription of £2 for single membership and £3 for family. We paid ours and took £7 to the bank and opened an account in the name of the Cumbria F.H.S. and so this Society was born." 

Before this, contact with fellow Cumbrians both home and overseas, who were interested in their family and local history, had been made through the Readers Letters page in the Cumbria magazine (sister to The Dalesman). Soon after the launch of the Society, the following letter appeared in the December magazine (1976) with the heading

For Genealogists.
"We feel that a number of readers of CUMBRIA will be interested in the newly formed Cumbria Migrants Family History Society which will link together and help amateur genealogists both in the U.K. and overseas who are researching families of Cumbria. Further information may be obtained in receipt of an S.A.E. or postage token if overseas, from Mrs. M.M. Russell, (Hon. Sec.) Ulpha, 32, Granada Rd, Denton, Manchester." 

Following that first informal meeting a committee was soon formed. Officials were: - 

Mr. C. Roy Hudleston, President, Mr. A.F.Brocklebank, Chairman, Mrs. M.M. Russell, Secretary, The Rev. B.S.W. Simpson, Treasurer, Miss J.R. Geldart, Newsletter Editor, Mr. R.H. Postlethwaite, Pedigree Referral Organiser and Mrs. J. Bowes, Mrs. D.I. Cowley and Mr. J. (Fred) Hughes Council Members. The Right Hon. The Earl of Lonsdale kindly accepted the invitation to become the Society's Patron.

The first edition of the Society's quarterly Newsletter, consisting of some 16 pages, was published in November 1976, capably edited by Miss Ruth Geldart who successfully continued with this very important role, until her death in May 1984, producing 31 editions. A feature of the newsletters which has been continued from the beginning is the interesting variety of illustrations provided by members for the front cover, these have ranged from hand drawn sketches to prints and latterly photographs. 

On the first page was a welcoming letter from the Chairman Mr. A.F.Brocklebank, whose comment about our secretary was as pertinent then as it is today. 

"I cannot conclude without saying how much we are indebted to Mrs. Russell for all she has done, in particular to gain wide publicity for our Society". (Now, twenty-three years later, our esteemed secretary must be one of the best known and well liked personalities in the field of Family History. Her selfless devotion to our Society, the time, effort and personal representations she has made, both here and abroad on behalf of the Cumbria Family History Society have ensured the excellent reputation that we are so proud of today)". 

The membership list of 51 in that first newsletter revealed some familiar names. 

Mrs. M.M.Russell, Mr. & Mrs. A.F. Brocklebank, The Rev. B.S. Wignall Simpson, Mr. & Mrs. D.J. Bowes, Mr. R.H.Postlethwaite, Mrs. D.I.Cowley, Miss R. Geldart, Mr & Mrs. C. Roy Huddleston, Mr. T. Cockerill, Dr. T.G. Fahy, Mr. Daniel Hay (Former Librarian at Whitehaven Library, under whose leadership the Cumberland Pacquet Newspaper was indexed) and Mr. O.B. Lewis (known as 'Mr. Mounsey' for his tremendous knowledge of that family). 

Of the 51 members listed, three were organisations - Whitehaven Library, The Lancashire Record Office and The Mossop Family Foundation of Philadelphia, U.S.A. Two other members were from America, one from Canada and one from New Zealand. Sixteen lived in Cumbria and the remainder came from various other counties. Of the first 100 members to join the Society, 14 have maintained continuous membership. 

At the end of the first year there were 207 members.