Records of the Isle of Man Arboricultural Society: Minute Book

The series comprises 1 bound volume containing a sequence of handwritten entries and typed, pasted entries which together furnish an account of the minutes of the committee of the Isle of Man Arboricultural Society.

In effect, the minutes detail the activities undertaken by the committee in order to realise the Society's core objective, namely, ' the encouragement and promotion of tree-planting in all its branches, and the dissemination of knowledge in connection therewith '. The earliest minuted meeting in the volume, 24 Nov 1896, dates from the appointment of the Society's first committee and runs through until 23 Mar 1907.

Activities evidenced in the minutes include but are not limited to: the appointment of General Committee and Sub-committee members including the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor; the undertaking of surveys and the issuing of reports in relation to the Island's forestry stocks; the development and ongoing maintenance of proposed Society forestry plantations; the administration of initiatives promoting tree-planting amongst Manx land-owners; and the administration of Society subscriptions and grant monies.

The volume also includes the following loose enclosure: a reprint of an article, entitled ' Tree Planting in the Isle of Man ', dating from 17 Jan 1903.

The history of publicly owned forestry on the Island can trace its genesis, in part, back to the foundation of a voluntary organisation in 1896, the Isle of Man Arboricultural Society.

The impetus for the Society's foundation can be attributed to the desire to develop locally managed forestry and woodland on the Island. The Society funded its work via subscription and the securement of small government grants. The General Committee comprised 6 members including a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor.

In 1919, with public appetite for forestry increasing, and at the invitation of the Society, the Tree Planting Committee of Tynwald - comprising 6 members - was created. Together these bodies constituted a semi-official Board responsible for the promotion, development and ongoing maintenance of the Island's forestry stock. These core functions were later formally ceded to the newly created Forestry Board in 1931.

This series is open. For information on visiting the Isle of Man Public Record Office please see our website: www.gov.im/pro

Please see our website for catalogues: www.gov.im/pro .

Series level description created by Gavin Rowan, IOMPRO, 1 Mar 2017.

Selected for permanent preservation in Nov 2015, Angela Skitt, IOMPRO.

Records in consignment C630 were transferred to the Isle of Man Public Record Office as a temporary consignment under section 3(8) of the Public Records Act, 1999 in Mar 2010 by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Forestry, Amenity and Lands division). The records were fully transferred to the Isle of Man Public Record Office under section 3(4) of the Public Records Act, 1999 in Jan 2016.

Also held at the Isle of Man Public Record Office:

• S63 - Records of the Forestry Board: Minute Books.