About
The Julian Bickersteth Memorial Medal is made to persons who have made notable and exemplary contributions to family history studies in the judgement of and at the discretion of the Trustees.
Kenneth Julian Faithful Bickersteth was born at Ripon on the 5th July 1885, the third son of the late Dr Samuel Bickersteth. Educated at Rugby, Christchurch, Oxford and Wells Theological College, Julian was ordained in 1909. He came to Canterbury as Archdeacon of Maidstone in 1943, having had a long career in education, both in England and Australia. He died on 16th October 1962.
Julian Bickersteth's interest in education never waned and it was from these very real promptings that his idea for The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies arose as a means of investigating the history and structure of family life. He left the realisation of his aims to Cecil Humphery-Smith, his godson, whom he had invited to form a school for family history studies in 1957. An exhibition of artifacts of family life was brought to Canterbury in 1960 and Julian lived to see the foundation of the Institute in Northgate in February 1961, enjoying its rapid progress in teaching and research over the following eighteen months.
In 1964, the Institute was registered as an independent charitable Trust and Cecil Humphery-Smith provided funds so that the Trustees could make an appropriate annual award in memory of the man who was the inspiration and sponsor of the Institute. The award is made to persons who have made notable and exemplary contributions to family history studies in the judgement of and at the discretion of the Trustees.
The Medal, designed by the donor in the form of a medieval armorial seal, has the arms of Bickersteth flanked by the Institute's heraldic badge on the face and an heroic garland of oak leaves surrounding the recipient's name on the reverse. It is cast from the original die in gilded silver.
Medal Awardees
The Trustees have awarded the Julian Bickersteth Memorial Medal to the following individuals at dinner or luncheon parties held in Canterbury, in London and elsewhere.
| 1967 | John Brooke-Little, CVO Michael G Heenan Frederick Humphery-Smith, MBE Don J Steel Peter Laslett E A Wrigley |
| 1969 | R C Gale William Urry |
| 1970 | C Wilfrid Scott-Giles, OBE |
| 1971 | The Earl Mountbatten of Burma |
| 1974 | Derick Emmison, MBE |
| 1975 | Francis W Steer |
| 1976 | A Noble |
| 1977 | Lt-Col Iain S Swinnerton |
| 1978 | Leon Jéquier |
| 1979 | Major Francis Jones Peter C Bartrum |
| 1980 | Sir Colin Cole, KCB, KCVO |
| 1981 | Sir Iain Moncrieffe of that Ilk, CVO |
| 1982 | Marc Fitch, CBE |
| 1983 | George D Squibb, MVO Jiri Louda |
| 1984 | The Duke of Norfolk, KG, GCVO, CB, CBE |
| 1985 | Cecil R J Humphery-Smith, OBE |
| 1986 | Archbishop Bruno Heim |
| 1987 | Roger Harmignies |
| 1988 | Arlene Eakle The Hon Sir George Bellew. KCB, KCVO |
| 1989 | Terrick FitzHugh Michael Maclagan, CVO |
| 1990 | Szabolcs de Vajay |
| 1991 | Peter Wilson Coldham Sir Anthony R Wagner, KCB, KCVO |
| 1992 | Michael Powell Siddons |
| 1993 | Jean-Claude Loutsch |
| 1994 | Gerard J Brault |
| 1995 | Jeremy Gibson |
| 1996 | G S U |
| 1997 | Brian Frith |
| 1998 | Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, CB, OBE |
| 1999 | Cliff R Webb |
| 2000 | John A Goodall |
| 2001 | GENUKI |
| 2002 | Robert D Watt |
| 2005 | Professor David G Hey |
| 2006 | Baron Hervé Pinoteau |
| 2007 | George Redmonds |
| 2008 | Nick Barratt |
| 2010 | Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones KCVO |
| 2011 | The Society of Genealogists |
| 2016 | Elizabeth Roads LVO |
| 2018 | A G R A |
| 2021 | Peter de Vere Beauclerk-Dewar |
