The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies

The School of Family History

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:

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
2022 Patric Dickinson LVO
2023 Else Churchill

The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies
79-82 Northgate
Canterbury
Kent, CT1 1BA
England
Tel: +44 (0)1227 768664

Sign up to our newsletter

Website by Beachshore