Following the funeral, Marian's father, Henry Wilks visits Annie to discuss right of way over adjoining land to Emmerdale Farm.
In November, Janie's sister, Ruth Merrick (later known as Pat), arrives along with her husband, Tom and their children Jackie and Sandie.
In April, The serial's first birth occurs when Matt and Peggy's twins Sam and Sally are born.
The serial's original doctor Clare Scott debuts in May and shopkeeper Lena Dawkins is introduced in December.
She was the daughter of wealthy retired factory owner Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) who later ran the Woolpack with long standing landlord Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill).
Janie Harker (also Blakey), played by Diane Grayson made her first appearance in the episode airing on 23 October 1972.
Janie visits Joe Sugden in hospital, following his car crash and suggests he takes her out when he recovers but he declines.
Tom thinks it is a bit too late to change his ways completely from his drinking, due to his age, and leaves for Aberdeen in February 1982.
Tom returns a few years later when is persuaded to look after the farm while Jack and Pat keep a bedside vigil for Jackie, who is in a coma following an accident.
He returns in 1986 for Pat's funeral and made his final appearance in February 1988 at Jackie's wedding to Kathy Bates.
Jackie was originally seen as a silent young boy (actor unknown) in the earliest episodes of Emmerdale Farm before becoming a fully-fledged regular character in September 1980.
Jack had left the village in 1964 and Pat subsequently married Tom Merrick and made him believe he was the father, even claiming that Jackie was born prematurely, which was not the case.
The character also had a brief fling with Angie Richards, who was played by Beverley Callard, now famous for her role as Liz McDonald in Coronation Street.
Their love blossomed but he could not compete when Sandie was swept off her feet by agricultural student David Blakemore, who arrived in Beckindale in his flash car to help Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines) at NY Estates.
Sandie then moved on to unemployed Graham Jelks, a keen mechanic who was a friend of her brother Jackie and Seth Armstrong's son, Fred.
When Sandie announced she was pregnant and refused to reveal who the father was, Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) gave her the support she needed.
The father of Sandie's baby was, in fact, Andy Longthorn (David Clayforth/Mark Botham), who had left the village to go to university.
After deciding to have the baby but finding her mother, Pat Sugden, unsympathetic, Sandie joined her father, Tom, in Aberdeen where he was working on the oil rigs and gave birth to her daughter, Louise, away from the wagging tongues of Beckindale.
There was more friction when builder Phil Pearce (Peter Alexander) left his wife, Lesley, and young daughter, Diane, to move with Sandie into Mill Cottage.
When Sandie subsequently passed her auctioneer's exams and took over Eric Pollard's (Chris Chittell) job, he mounted a hate campaign against her.
Matters only worsened for Sandie when NY Estates decided to close Hotten Market and pull out of Beckindale altogether and she lost her job.
Laura left Beckindale, but returned when she found out George was planning on leaving fortune to his nephew, Mark Proctor.
She is followed by Latimer who tries to attack her but is stopped by a homeless man, Ian "Trash" McIntyre, a friend of Jack Sugden.
Trash later fell from a window at Mill Cottage and died from resulting injuries and Sharon's body is discovered shortly afterwards.
When he is released from prison, he kidnaps Sarah Connolly, who is in a relationship with Jack Sugden who was a prosecution witness at his trial in 1973.
In 1973, Alison was released and went for a trail shift at The Woolpack, under the supervision of Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill), due to her criminal past.
As time goes by, she later begins a relationship with Jack Sugden (Andrew Burt), but after building a friendship with Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow), they become a couple.
Subsequently, Amos goes on a wife hunt to help him run The Woolpack and thus proposes to Alison, which she also rejects, causing her to take a break from the village in April.
Matt and Peggy's mother Annie Sugden help bring up the twins but she's unable to cope with Sam and Sally and so sends them to live with his aunt, Beattie Dowton.
Matt and Peggy's mother Annie Sugden help bring up the twins but she's unable to cope with Sam and Sally and so sends them to live with his aunt, Beattie Dowton.