TWO local historians from Pembrokeshire achieved a remarkable first this year.

Both Pat Barker and Mary Houseman received distinctions for their dissertations on completing the MA in Local History - South-West Wales from 1800 at Trinity College, Carmarthen.

According to the course director, Dr. Ioan Matthews: "This has been a remarkable year for the MA course with all three candidates - two of them from Pembrokeshire - achieving distinctions for their dissertations. As a department we are very proud of the high standards of this cohort of students."

Pat Barker is better known to the residents of Haverfordwest as the co-owner of Swales Music Centre and for her long essay she chose to research the history of St. Mary's Church in the town. She has been a life-long member and previous churchwarden and organist at the parish church.

Pat's friend and fellow-student Mary Houseman, of Llawhaden, concentrated on studying working women in the Narberth union during the second half of the 19th century for her dissertation. She traced the range of agricultural, industrial and domestic occupations which occupied women and girls at this time and found wonderful personal stories to enliven the narrative.

But she also found that with the development of commercial prospects in the county new opportunities in the fields of teaching, trade and business opened up for the enterprising female.

"I really enjoyed doing the course and learned a lot about historical research and about the country I live in," claimed Mary, and she now hopes to delve further into Pembrokeshire history.

Although both Pat and Mary took up the MA as a part-time hobby, it is in danger of becoming a full-time all-consuming passion.