AN exhibition, a church service and a school full of youngsters in Victorian outfits helped a Furness village celebrate 120 years since its first residents arrived.

In the spring of 1874 a group of Cornish tin and copper miners had made the long journey north to dig for Furness iron ore at places such as Stank, Yarlside, Dalton and Lindal Moor.

New houses were built for them and their families, creating a new community.

Stone from Barrow’s Hawcoat quarry built the sturdy sandstone cottages for miners at North Row and South Row.

A school, a church, shops and a branch of the Dalton Co-operative Society were provided for the new villagers.

Sports such as cricket, football and rugby league developed Roose teams.

The Mail, on Monday, April 25 in 1994, noted: “Old friends were reunited, memories re-kindled and new friendships formed.

“The 120th anniversary celebrations of Roose village were an attempt, said the organiser, lay worker Brian Otto, to resurrect a sense of community.

“But if numbers prove anything, that sense of community was never dead.

“On Friday, children attended Roose Primary School in Victorian dress with teachers getting in on the act too.

“That evening more than 100 people turned out to hear a talk on the village’s history by local historian Bryn Trescatheric and then on Saturday an exhibition of village artefacts was packed out in minutes.

“Celebrations were rounded off with a special church service at St Perran’s, taken by the Reverend Joyce Butler.

“Roose residents milled around the primary school hall, reliving their youth through old photographs, records and video recordings of the once annual It’s a Knock-out competition.”

Oldest Roose-born resident John Lucas, 88, was at the event and met the youngest – Robin Jameson, aged just nine months.

Mr Lucas knew Victor Simmons, one of the men from the village who died in the First World War and who is commemorated on the Roose war memorial.

Norman Taylor and Harry Marshall remembered playing in houses that stood part-built on South Row during the Second World War.

Mr Marshall said: “They became our playground.”