Background and news
The Making of Mashamshire started as a small heritage project based at the Masham Community Office. Our aim is to protect, explore and celebrate the history of our area. We wanted to make sure there was a shared knowledge of Masham's local archives. We gradually built-up a list of local experts on certain subjects and who were the custodians of important records. We were lucky to receive Heritage Lottery funding to begin building a website www.mashamhistory.com, start a Masham Family History Group and train volunteers to collect oral memories from local residents. Our first exhibition celebrated the centenary of Masham Town Hall, and our most recent has been on the Mills of Mashamshire. We are also running a number of school projects covering different aspects of WW1 and 20th century memories. These are funded by Harrogate Borough Council, Heritage Lottery fund and Nidderdale AONB.
In June 2013 everything took a new big step - the old office of Edmundson and Gowland Solicitors on Millgate was sold. The office had been in regular use for …. well no-one really knows how long but the oldest paper we have found so far is 1770! The earliest papers (>1850) are all now housed at the North Yorkshire County Council Records Office – but the rest are staying in Masham We think there is about 25,000 papers and our volunteers are logging each and every one. Eventually you will be able to search an online database under family name, place, house or business.
The influx of papers, photographs and furniture has meant we needed to consider our long term plans. The Making of Mashamshire is now a Community Incorperated Organisation with a Board of Trustees. We are currently seeking charitable status.
Jameson’s loaned us some office space by the new Co-op and we were able to begin the task of catologing the papers. We have support from our other family firms – Theakston’s, Joplings, Black Sheep and I’Anson’s.
We would achieve nothing without our growing team of Heritage Volunteers.
Throughout the week we have volunteers spending an hour or two logging the legal documents, scanning papers and researching the history of old buildings.
We also have a team trained to be Oral Interviewers. They talk to Masham's local residents to uncover their cheeky stories of the past...!
At Christmastime 2014 we launched our Making of Mashamshire Recipe Book - full of recipes written by a Masham lady in the 1910's. All found in an old notebook donated to the project. In 2015 we hope to be adding a range of brochures covering some of our recent exhibitions and projects.
We also have resident Family History experts - if you are interested in researching your family history (whether from Masham or not) please do drop us a line or speak to us at one of our stalls.
The Making of Mashamshire started as a small heritage project based at the Masham Community Office. Our aim is to protect, explore and celebrate the history of our area. We wanted to make sure there was a shared knowledge of Masham's local archives. We gradually built-up a list of local experts on certain subjects and who were the custodians of important records. We were lucky to receive Heritage Lottery funding to begin building a website www.mashamhistory.com, start a Masham Family History Group and train volunteers to collect oral memories from local residents. Our first exhibition celebrated the centenary of Masham Town Hall, and our most recent has been on the Mills of Mashamshire. We are also running a number of school projects covering different aspects of WW1 and 20th century memories. These are funded by Harrogate Borough Council, Heritage Lottery fund and Nidderdale AONB.
In June 2013 everything took a new big step - the old office of Edmundson and Gowland Solicitors on Millgate was sold. The office had been in regular use for …. well no-one really knows how long but the oldest paper we have found so far is 1770! The earliest papers (>1850) are all now housed at the North Yorkshire County Council Records Office – but the rest are staying in Masham We think there is about 25,000 papers and our volunteers are logging each and every one. Eventually you will be able to search an online database under family name, place, house or business.
The influx of papers, photographs and furniture has meant we needed to consider our long term plans. The Making of Mashamshire is now a Community Incorperated Organisation with a Board of Trustees. We are currently seeking charitable status.
Jameson’s loaned us some office space by the new Co-op and we were able to begin the task of catologing the papers. We have support from our other family firms – Theakston’s, Joplings, Black Sheep and I’Anson’s.
We would achieve nothing without our growing team of Heritage Volunteers.
Throughout the week we have volunteers spending an hour or two logging the legal documents, scanning papers and researching the history of old buildings.
We also have a team trained to be Oral Interviewers. They talk to Masham's local residents to uncover their cheeky stories of the past...!
At Christmastime 2014 we launched our Making of Mashamshire Recipe Book - full of recipes written by a Masham lady in the 1910's. All found in an old notebook donated to the project. In 2015 we hope to be adding a range of brochures covering some of our recent exhibitions and projects.
We also have resident Family History experts - if you are interested in researching your family history (whether from Masham or not) please do drop us a line or speak to us at one of our stalls.