THE launch of a book which tells the 200-plus year history of Pembroke Farmers’ Club took at Pembroke Town Hall on Thursday, July 18.

The 200 Year History & Heritage of Pembroke Farmers’ Club, has been compiled by Edward Morris of Loveston Farm.

Edward, chairman of Pembroke Town and Country Show, has spent over three years gathering information to produce this book which depicts the history of the club over the last 200 years. It begins with the circumstances of the time when the club was originally formed in 1817, led by two major landlords in the area – Lord Cawdor of Stackpole and Sir John Owen of Orielton.

The club was fortunate in having in its possession some very old schedules and minute books dating back as early as 1839.

In 2017, as the club’s 200th anniversary was drawing near Edward felt that this was a good time to pull together as much information as he could as there was no other record of the club’s past.

The book includes information about what the original club members discussed at their meetings; the annual show and the annual fat stock show reports and information on where they were held over the 200 years; the Pembroke rabbit factory; the acquisition of 6,000 acres by the War Office for the formation of the Castlemartin army camp and what this meant for the former tenants of the area; the demise of the Stackpole Estate; the First and Second World War and the club’s part in raising money for the war effort; the women’s land army; an amusing report on a shooting party; the visit of the King to the area and lots more.

It also deals with the formation of the South Pembrokeshire Young Farmers Club in 1942 by Edward’s grandfather Eddie Roberts and local auctioneer and estate agent Captain Thomas, with lots of photographs of members past and present.

The book will also be on sale at the annual Pembroke Town & Country Show on August 7 and also at the Pembrokeshire County Show.