RESIDENTS in South Petherwin are being asked for help in tracing missing parish council minute books in the hope of returning them to be digitilised for future use.

It is understood by the council that its minute books prior to 1920, believed to date back to 1894, are missing and appear not to be held by the Cornwall Records Office.

The council was in the process of digitilising the minute books, many of which had been handwritten in the time before computers and email, and discovered many years were missing.

The council hopes the books are in the back of a cupboard or have been inadvertently stored away and is appealing to anyone with information on their whereabouts to come forward and help in the search.

Parish council chairman Cllr Dawn Rogers said: “The history of the village is in those books. We have copies from 1920 onwards but the ones previous to this would let us find out so much about he parish during the First World War.

“I think it is of local importance as it shows the heritage of South Petherwin. It is the identity of the village. It would allow us to see when electricity came to the village and when the village pump came into use, just local points of interest that many long term residents may be interested to rediscover.”

The council would have met around four times a year and would have noted down, as it does today, the events and decisions of the parish.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Alison Barham, South Petherwin Parish Clerk, by emailing [email protected] or calling 01566 772596.