Society traces its roots

A plaque to commemorate the founding of the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) in 1882 has been unveiled in Hexham by Viscount Allendale, and now the hunt is on to trace the direct descendants of one of the original founders.

The plaque has been placed in the garden of a house in Alemouth Road, Hexham. The property was once home to John W Robson, a nurseryman who, along with Henry Clark, founded a group for foresters in Tynedale as the English Arboricultural Society, which later became the Royal Forestry Society (RFS). The first meeting of the Society was held in the house.

John Holland, the RFS North East Division’s Secretary has been tracing the history of the Society, and has been able to contact two great-grandsons of Henry Clark, who were present at the unveiling of the plaque. He is still hoping to trace any descendents of John W Robson. Members of Viscount Allendale’s family have been members of the Society since its early days.

John Holland said: “The plaque marks the significance of Hexham in the Society’s history as well as to mark the work of the Society nationally. I would be delighted to hear from anyone who has information on John W Robson’s direct descendents.”

(Contact John Holland via the RFS headquarters: rfshq@rfs.org.uk)