John Kennar
Riviera People
Brixham Heritage Museum
A retired lawyer who has returned to his birthplace in Brixham, John Kennar has become Chair of this fascinating local museum. Through family history research, he has discovered an illustrious ancestor who served on the Discovery with the Scott Antarctic Expedition. Anita Newcombe finds out more.
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astonishing £33,000 when a collector sold them in 2006. ’m meeting John Kennar together with museum John tells me, “Through Brixham Heritage Museum volunteer and popular local singer, songwriter and poet I’ve found out a great deal about my family history. Maggie Duffy in one of the new outdoor cafés under the Apart from Tom, there’s no one remotely famous or cover of the Old Fish Market at Brixham. notable but my Brixham-based family can be traced back Brixham Heritage Museum is well known for its to 1555. I have had a duplicate set of Tom Kennar’s successful Family History Research Centre and John medals made up Kennar was keen for display by me to find out more and these will be about his recently donated to the discovered ancestor museum at some Tom Kennar who future point.” lived in Overgang In fact, for nigh in Brixham. on 200 years, Tom was born in John’s family Brixham in 1876 were involved in and worked as a the local fishing sailing trawlerman industry and before joining although his the Royal Navy parents moved in 1891. He was the family to subsequently Plymouth when selected to Tom Kennar - Petty officer, 2nd class, R.N (top row 5th from left) he was just two become part of years old, Brixham is still very close to his heart. He only Scott’s Antarctic Expedition from 1901 – 1904. Having returned about 18 months ago following his retirement survived the expedition he then went on to distinguish as a lawyer in Hampshire and he has now become Chair himself at Jutland, being awarded the Russian Medal of St of Brixham Heritage Museum. There is no shortage of George for valour. In fact his medal collection raised an
englishrivieramagazine.co.uk
June/July 2021 | 19
