Alan neame award

Not awarded

The number of entries has still not gone back to pre-pandemic levels, but we very much appreciate the effort, dedication and research undertaken by all the entrants. The standard and attention to Award guidelines was very much improved, and that is to be applauded.

The judging took place by Zoom and by the usual panel of Peter Ewart (KFHS President), David Wood (Chairman, Canterbury Branch) and me, Amanda Thomas. Our number has sadly dwindled to three with the dreadful loss of our former President, Duncan Harrington, but whose absence was fondly recalled by us at regular intervals with comments such as, “Duncan would have approved,” or “What would Duncan have thought of that?” We were buoyed by our lovely memories of happier days when we would gather together in Canterbury not just to judge the Award but also to catch up on each other’s news and research.

The first prize of £100 was awarded to: Roger Turner, for 'From East Kent to Australia: Memories of a Farming Family'.
This was an interesting, well written and enjoyable account of Roger’s maternal ancestors, the Pout family, yeoman farmers who ‘tilled the soil of East Kent since the 13th century … initially at Ash, Romney Marsh and around Canterbury … ’ Their interests eventually stretched to the owning or renting of some 24 farms between Herne Bay, Whitstable and Canterbury. The article is rich with descriptions of farming in the early twentieth century, including how Roger’s great-grandfather Edward Pout donated land to the railways to facilitate the building of Chestfield and Swalecliffe Halt, ‘thus saving goods having to be taken to Whitstable or Herne Bay.’ The station is still in use today and is testament to Edward’s vision which also included the installation of one of the first telephone systems, ‘connecting his property, Kite Farm to Frog’s island, ‘a round journey of ten miles.’ Roger’s account includes tales of smuggling and of fortune-seeking in Australia, plus a plethora of wonderful photographs of his interesting ancestors.

The second prize of £50 was awarded to: Sally Martyn for 'Everyone should have a Cousin Beryl.'
Sally became aware of her father’s cousin Beryl in 2009. Already in her 90s, Beryl had spent 50 years gathering family history data well before ‘the internet searches and our ease of access to digital archives!’ Wheeling her young children in their pushchairs around Kentish graveyards, Beryl had put together a family tree ‘covering 12 generations, 3 centuries and 4 continents,’ given that she herself had emigrated to New Zealand in 1948. The account reaches a refreshingly realistic conclusion as Sally questions the accuracy of some of Beryl’s research, specifically the fact that there is simply no evidence that ‘the family originally arrived in the retinue of William the Conqueror in 1066.’ Modern resources have enabled Sally to both check and enhance Beryl's work, ‘a family history in microcosm.’

The third prize of £25 was awarded to: Rosemary Bentley whose article, 'The Search for Henry Shingleton'
Rosemary's article relates the story of her great-great grandfather. Rosemary’s essay follows Henry’s life from his birth in Kent to his marriage in Cornwall, and then his eventual (and final) move to Wales. The account describes the ups and downs of nineteenth century country life. Henry rose from tenant to farm owner, but then sold up to become a steward in Cornwall and Wales and managed landed estates. The story relates the experience of his extended family, including the interrelated Foords and Ratcliffes.

The winning entries will appear in future issues of the Journal.

Not Awarded

Not Awarded

The winners were announced at the Society's AGM held via Zoom on 24th October 2020.

• First Prize: Christina Bouldin for her article A grievous inheritance
• Second Prize: Rosie Ansell for her article Some unexpected relatives!

Christina Bouldin's article tells of family research via an inherited illness and will be featured in the December 2020 Journal.

• First Prize: Jan Digby
• Second Prize: Jim Boulden
• Third Prize: Roger Stubbs

Jan Digby's winning article is featured in the Society's Journal, December 2019 issue.

Not Awarded

The quality of the entries was high as well, which led to lengthy debate among the judges.

However, one entry was unanimously considered to be the winning article, and I am very pleased to announce that the First Prize of £100 was awarded to Jane Down, from Ottawa, Canada, with her work entitled 'Finding 21 Children: Simple-Not so Simple!' Jane produced an article that was superbly referenced, easy to read and easy to understand despite the potential for confusion when tracing so many people; the fact that the siblings concerned were her grandmother's adoptive mother shows that blood should not be the only consideration in researching the history of one's ancestors. In true awards show tradition, the winner could not be present to receive their award, so the prize will be delivered via our Canadian agent.

Second Prize (£50) is awarded to Judith Thomas, from Berkshire, for her entry entitled: 'What was Nana reluctant to tell us?' Judith has a lovely witty style of writing, and tells a tale of decades of research to uncover the dark secret in her family's past (with lots of help from KFHS members!). What she uncovered definitely highlights that a very open mind needs to be kept if you start climbing your family tree! Third Prize (£25) is awarded to Brian Homewood from Staffordshire, for his article called 'I Name this Child...?' Brian intention is to try to overturn the accepted parentage of one James Homewood in the 18th Century, flying against the conclusions of most other researchers of the name, with the help of a 'eureka' moment that may reveal his true lineage. The prizes will be sent after the AGM.

Finally, a Highly Commended was awarded to Glynn Brown in Australia, for his original entry 'Leon Brown in South Africa', telling the story of his ancestor's military career in the Anglo-Boer War from a first-person perspective.