The Ian Coulson Annual Bursary for Local History/Archaeology in Kent Schools 2017-18
By Andy Harmsworth and Marion Green
On 2 October 2018, we attended a whole school assembly at St John’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Gravesend. The purpose of the visit was to present Colm
Murphy, Subject Leader for History, with a cheque for £1,000 for his department’s work on the local impact of the First World War, the first award from the newly established Ian Coulson Bursary for Local History/Archaeology.
This annual bursary was established in 2017 by the Education Committee of Kent Archaeological Society, of which we are both members, in memory of Ian Coulson. As many of you will know, Ian was Adviser for History in Kent schools for over
25 years and, at the time of his premature death in 2015, President of the Kent Archaeological Society.
The bursary aims to support the teaching and learning of archaeology and local history, two of Ian’s great passions, in Kent and Medway schools. One bursary, worth up to £1,000, for which any Kent or Medway school (primary or secondary) may apply, will be available each academic year.
To apply for the bursary teachers have to submit a short application form before the end of June.
The KAS Education Committee examines all of the applications and informs schools of their decision before the end of the summer term.
The successful school then has one academic year to research their chosen topic and produce related classroom materials. For the duration of the project, teachers will have access to an adviser appointed by the KAS Education Committee. They are expected to deliver in digital format:
local history/archaeology resources for children to use in the classroom over a sustained period (i.e. several hours of work in the classroom)
support materials for other teachers; for example a scheme of work, detailed explanatory notes and advice, additional resources and a bibliography
These materials will then be made available to other schools on the Kent Archaeological Society and Canterbury Archaeological Trust websites. The bursary will contribute up to £1,000 towards expenses incurred during the completion of the project; acceptable expenses include the costs of supply cover, the purchase of equipment, software and/ or subscriptions essential to the project, photocopying expenses and travel expenses (for example to an archive office or museum).
The St John’s project was an investigation into the impact of the First World War on the locality.
Using the names on their local war memorial as a starting point, Year 9 students (13–14-year-olds) carried out research to produce biographies of soldiers from their local area who died in action during the First World War. With the help of their teachers, local historians and surviving family members, they then used a variety of sources to find out about the soldiers’ lives, including the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission website, military service records, census returns, local newspapers, war diaries and the histories of particular regiments and units.
During their research students discovered that several local soldiers were involved in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, the first battle in which tanks were used on a large scale. Coincidentally, Gravesham is twinned with Cambrai and students were working at the time of the battle’s centenary. One of the first soldiers they researched was Thomas Boucher of 7 Dover Road, Northfleet, who was training to be an engineer when the war broke out. He joined the Royal Field Artillery in 1915 and was subsequently transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and then the newly formed Tank Corps.
In 1917 he fought at the Battle of Messines, taking control of a
Mark IV tank when its driver was severely wounded. During the Battle of Cambrai, shortly after his 21st birthday, he was shot after his tank had been hit by artillery fire and died from his wounds. He has no known grave, but his name is inscribed on the Cambrai Memorial at Louverval.
Students went on to research the Battle of Cambrai and the results of their findings, together with their completed biographies, were published in a commemorative booklet ‘Gravesham and the Battle of Cambrai, November 20th – December 4th 1917’. The biographies were also published on the school website.
The culmination of the project was a visit to the First World War battlefields and cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium.
Pupils were able to visit the graves and memorials of the soldiers whose lives they had researched, providing added poignancy to their learning experience.
A teaching and learning resource for schools based on the project, ‘Investigating the Impact of World War l in your Locality’, has now been produced. It contains detailed guidance which can
These materials can be downloaded, along with further information about the bursary, from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust website: www.canterburytrust.co.uk/ learning/schools/coulson-bursary/
Or follow the link on the Kent Archaeological Society website: www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Please help us to publicise the bursary by telling any teachers you know about it. We do not doubt that Ian would heartily approve of the innovative work in Kent schools which the bursary is supporting.
Opposite page
Marion Green presenting the cheque to Colm Murphy with Andy Harmsworth
(right) and Headteacher Matt Barroe (left)
Top left
Thomas Boucher, 1897–1917
Top right
From the Kent Messenger, 15 December 1917
Above
Front cover of the commemorative booklet produced by the students of St John’s Catholic School