The winner of the Society’s Young Researcher Competition for 2024 is Joshua Wells from Castle Douglas High School. His winning entry is Ivy Cottage: The poem, the history, the mystery.
The judging panel were very impressed with Joshua’s interesting and readable research project which left the reader inspired to find out more. Joshua’s project arose from his curiosity about the name ‘Kentucky’ inscribed on a bench in the village of Balmaclellan and the nearby surviving remains of the walls of the building known as Ivy Cottage. Joshua then used a variety of sources: traditional references, social media and oral history sources to find out more about Ivy Cottage and its inhabitants, linking one of the cottage’s occupants (Sarah Rae, a poor woman from the village) with the poetry of the Reverend George Murray, Balmaclellan’s minister at the time. Joshua also explored the context of the cottage in the history of the village by looking at population figures and occupational data.
His excellent article is available for viewing or downloading here.
A presentation ceremony was held at Castle Douglas High School on Thursday, 30 January, when Joshua was presented with his certificate and a cheque for £250.
The photograph shows (left to right) Stephen Foster (Headteacher, Castle Douglas High School), Francis Toolis (member of the judging panel), Joshua Wells, David Dutton (DGNHAS President) and Margaret Kennedy (organiser of the competion).