A FAMILY history society is recording gravestone inscriptions for future generations.

Members of the Ribble Valley Branch of the Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society are travelling around the borough’s graveyards taking pictures of each memorial.

They are then recording them on CDs with searchable indexes, in case the memorial gets damaged or weather-worn.

The society last completed the project in 1980 and, as each church is completed, copies will be made available to the public.

Project leader Tony Foster said: “These memorials are a rich source of information for any family historian, and they record names, ages and dates of death, which are the keys to finding out more about a family.

“By recording the inscriptions in this way, we are making sure that future generations have access to the same sources as we do.

“It would be a shame if we didn’t have digital records of a memorial and it was then vandalised, or lost forever.

“These CDs will help to build up a family tree and they are an invaluable source.”

A copy of each disc will be given to the local library, and can also be bought from the group directly, before becoming accessible on the internet.

The group has completed recording memorials in West Bradford, and are about to finish working at the Methodist church in Mellor, which will be available in a couple of weeks.

Clitheroe resident Brian Andrews said: “I think it’s great the group have decided to take on this huge task again. “It will mean that future historians will have access to the same information as we do now, and that’s very important.”

The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Clitheroe Cricket Club, from 7.30pm.