HOW to make use of the historic treasures held by Barrow Archive and Local Studies Collection is the topic of a talk on Thursday, September 21.

Barrow archivist Susan Benson is guest speaker at Askam and Ireleth History Group from 7.30pm in the Duddon Road Methodist Church, Askam.

All are welcome and admission costs £2, which includes refreshments.

Census details, maps and plans, photographs and business records can all help with research projects on anything from family or house history to the setting up of village industries and shops.

The archive also has drawers filled with rolls of microfilm containing the pages of Furness newspapers through the decades.

The pages contain everything from mine accidents and ship launches to fires, house sales and shop advertisements.

As an example, the Barrow Times for Saturday, March 9, in 1867, carries a public notice offering building plots for land at would later be called Askam.

The fields were at Rod Grass and Parrock at the railway gates “a short distance of the site of the intended new railway station.”

The Dalton News, of Saturday, October 13 in 1917 carried details of a cycle accident on Ireleth Hill involving vicar of Kirkby the Reverend G. W. Sykes.

He fell off shortly after leaving St Peter’s Church, Ireleth, after conducting a funeral service.

It noted: He had not proceeded far, however, when he found the brakes refused to act properly owing to the action of the rain.

“The machine was gaining in momentum, and in order to avoid running into the horses of the mourning coaches which were turning the corner at the time, he did the best he could under the circumstances by turning into a garden gate in the bend of the hill.

“The impact broke the stoop and gate, knocked some stones off the wall, damaging the machine.”

The vicar ended up with cuts and bruises on his hands and arms.