Messages to the Great Harwood Appreciation Society are wide-ranging in both subject matter and time frame and inevitably over the past ten years questions about family history have been posted to the group – so much so that in February 2007 it was decided that a separate but linked group should be formed specially for the discussion of genealogy relating to Great Harwood and the surrounding towns of Clayton le Moors and Rishton.

We called this group ‘arrodgen, thinking it would be obvious to all that it was composed of the dialect pronunciation of Harwood and ‘gen' being short for genealogy. However, we have had quite a bit of explaining to do to the ex-patriot members from around the world for whom it was not so obvious! As I write this we have, in just two short years, acquired 133 members worldwide.

The aim of the group is to discuss our shared heritage, discover lost cousins, pool knowledge and resources and, if we are lucky, knock down a few ‘brick walls' along the way. A year ago, to encourage group members to come forward and share their findings, a newsletter was started and sent out to all group members by email at the beginning of every month. Tips, hints, websites of interest and forthcoming events are included but the greatest success of the newsletter has been the contributions by group members many of whom have fascinating stories to tell about their family history – some of which are reproduced in this display.

Perhaps the best success of the group though is the acquisition of the book of personal memoirs of William Mercer. William emigrated from Great Harwood to Australia and decided to write about his early life and his town of birth for his children and grandchildren. Group member Leonie Mercer and her husband Steve, William's grandson, visited Great Harwood earlier this year and while here gave a bound copy of the memoirs to the people of the town. It is a wonderful evocation of life in the town at the turn of the twentieth century and is as much social history as family history. Well worth reading by anyone with an interest in the history of our town; it has been deposited with the library and so available for anyone to read.

We would like to invite you to join us at ‘arrodgen – everyone is welcome, beginners and experts alike.