Chill out at Fishcombe

John Kennar

Brixham Heritage Museum

A retired lawyer who has returned to his birthplace in Brixham, John Kennar has become Chair of this fascinating local museum. rough family history research, he has discovered an illustrious ancestor who served on the Discovery with the Scott Antarctic Expedition. Anita Newcombe nds out more.

I’m meeting John Kennar together with museum astonishing £33,000 when a collector sold them in 2006. volunteer and popular local singer, songwriter and poet John tells me, “ rough Brixham Heritage Museum Maggie Du y in one of the new outdoor cafés under the I’ve found out a great deal about my family history. cover of the Old Fish Market at Brixham. Apart from Tom, there’s no one remotely famous or

Brixham Heritage Museum is well known for its notable but my Brixham-based family can be traced back successful Family History Research Centre and John to 1555. I have had a duplicate set of Tom Kennar’s Kennar was keen medals made up to nd out more for display by me about his recently and these will be discovered ancestor donated to the Tom Kennar who museum at some lived in Overgang future point.” in Brixham. In fact, for nigh Tom was born in on 200 years, Brixham in 1876 John’s family and worked as a were involved in sailing trawlerman the local shing before joining industry and the Royal Navy although his in 1891. He was parents moved subsequently the family to selected to Tom Kennar - Petty offi cer, 2nd class, R.N (top row 5th from left) Plymouth when become part of he was just two Scott’s Antarctic Expedition from 1901 – 1904. Having years old, Brixham is still very close to his heart. He only survived the expedition he then went on to distinguish returned about 18 months ago following his retirement himself at Jutland, being awarded the Russian Medal of St as a lawyer in Hampshire and he has now become Chair George for valour. In fact his medal collection raised an of Brixham Heritage Museum. ere is no shortage of

things to plan and oversee with the award-winning, free- of the Antarctic. He tells me, “Tom Kennar had been to-enter museum reopening on 1 June. forgotten but I’m determined to bring his astonishing e building was Brixham’s old police station and story back to life.” originally had 3 cells. One has been removed to make You can all see the kind of daily lives that people led in room for displays and one still remains laid out as a Victorian Brixham including how they worked, what they prison cell. Inside the cell currently sits a mannequin ate and where they went to school. You’ll also learn about of Priscilla Bulley, one of the female Fish Hawkers of the soldiers and forti cations at Berry Head, designed to Brixham; she was imprisoned for one night for a ray protect the warships of the Royal Navy from the dreaded and disturbing the peace. Maggie Du y has provided the Napoleon Bonaparte. Priscilla mannequin with a hauntingly beautiful recorded ere’s a Children’s Room with a model railway of song, e Little Town of Brixham, which keeps her story old Brixham Station. Don’t miss the old shing family’s alive to those who choose to stop by kitchen parlour and the shoemaker and listen. e song is a precursor to display. her subsequent rant in a strong local When the museum reopens on 1 accent as she recounts the unfairness June,it will o er six days a week freeof the state in which she nds herself. of-charge entry (Tuesday to Sunday). Lord Churston had given the Fish However, it obviously costs a lot to run Hawker Women a licence in 1864 this fascinating treasure of Brixham’s but when Patricia arrived to collect past so donations are very welcome some sh she had ordered, she was and there’s always plenty for volunteers frustrated to nd it had already been to do. e museum is usually closed sold to a male buyer. Patricia roundly during the winter months but John abused the buyer and that’s why Maggie Duffy explains that he’s hoping to open for she ended up in the cells. ere the some weeks from October this year. recreated Priscilla sits so many years Being Chair of Brixham Heritage later (even though she was only sentenced to one night), Museum sounds like a highly ful lling but big job. John where a motion sensor triggers her plaintive song and tells me, “I’m retired but like to keep busy. Apart from issues her heartfelt rant, (courtesy of Maggie Du y) as the museum I am also involved a little with Vigilance of visitors come by. Brixham, the historic ga -rigged sailing trawler. It’s simply ere are many other wonderful exhibits within the wonderful to be back in Brixham.” He can’t wait to get museum including Britain in the Great War (including back to the pub where he likes to relax with a newspaper the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic). e Maritime Room and his Great Dane. e Manor and the Market Inn are is packed with sailing trawler history with models of the among his favourites. traditional trawlers and all kinds of tools and equipment. A visit to Brixham Heritage Museum is much more ere’s also a Brixham Heroes exhibit, which currently fun and eye opening than you might realise. Children will highlights those who distinguished themselves in WW2. love it and adults will be fascinated by the wonderfully John is hoping to include a tribute to Tom Kennar for visual insight into life in Brixham over the centuries. his service in both world wars and his exploits with Scott  brixhammuseum.uk maggieduffy.co.uk